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\li.l  lioiuvi     Ki'iscoi-Ai,    ilEADQUARTEES,    MEXICO    ClTY 


History  of  the 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

in  Mexico 

PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES,  PRESENT 
CONDITIONS  AND  FUTURE  OUTLOOK 


By 
JOHN  WESLEY  BUTLER 


Introduction  by 
FRANCIS  J.  McCONNELL 

Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


THE  METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,   1918,  by 
JOHN  WESLEY  BUTLER 


m 


To 

My  Brothers 
THE  MEXICAN  PREACHERS  OF 
THE  PAST  AND  THE  PRESENT 

Whose    Fidelity    Challenges    the 
Admiration  of  the  Entire  Church 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction,  Bishop  F.  J.  McConnell   .  11 

Foreword 15 

CnAPTEK 

I.    The  Founders 17 

II.    A  Prepared  Field 24 

III.  The  First  Years 38 

IV.  Reenforcements 49 

V.    Woman's  Cooperation     ....  58 

VI.    Mission  Extension,  Pachuca  and 

Vicinity 63 

VII.    Orizava:    "Joy  on  the  Waters"  71 

VIII.    Miraflores:  "Behold  the  Flow- 
ers"      78 

ix.    puebla  and  tlaxcala      ....  86 

X.    Guanajuato    and    the    Medical 

Work 101 

xi.    queretaro — clty    of    churches.  118 

XII.    O ax ac a — Land  of  Ancient  Kings 

and  Modern  Presidents  .     .     .  128 

XIII.    Retrospection — Facing  the 
Future  with   a  Reunited 

Methodism 140 

Index 155 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Methodist  Episcopal  Headquarters,  Mexico  City 

Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

William  Butler 18 

Carved  Walls  of  Hall,  Mitla  Ruins 26 

Patio  of  the  School   of    the  Woman's  Foreign 

Missionary  Society  in  Puebla 60 

Our  Church  in  Pachuca 66 

Rev.  Augustin  Palacios 74 

Our  Church  in  Puebla 90 

Nurses,  Hospital  of  the  Good  Samaritan,  Guana- 
juato         112 

The  B.  N.  Velasco  Methodist  Institute,  Queretaro.  120 

Prince  Prez,  Descendant  of  the  Aztec  Emperors.  132 

Map  of  Mexico 154 


INTRODUCTION 

The  subject  of  which  this  book  treats  is  one  of 
commanding  importance  to  American  Protestant- 
ism. For  five  or  six  years  Mexico  has  been  in  the 
throes  of  revolution.  Those  who  stand  closest  to 
the  national  condition  feel  confident  that  the  close 
of  the  revolution  will  give  an  opportunity  for 
Protestantism  in  Mexico  greater  than  in  the  past. 
While  the  causes  of  the  revolutionary  developments 
have  been  in  the  broad  sense  economic  and  social, 
there  are  nevertheless  distinctively  religious  factors 
at  work  in  Mexico.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church 
there  has  not  made  use  of  its  spiritual  opportunities. 
While  the  general  attitude  of  the  church  toward  the 
people  has  been  kindly  and  benevolent,  the  Roman 
organization,  as  such,  has  given  itself  too  largely  to 
material  and  political  interests,  neglecting  the  task 
of  really  spiritual  shepherding  of  men.  The  hos- 
tility of  the  revolutionary  leaders  of  Mexico  toward 
Romanism  is  not  to  be  interpreted  as  an  enmity 
toward  religion,  but  toward  an  alliance  of  organized 
ecclesiasticism  with  reactionary  social  forces.  Prot- 
estantism has  a  double  mission  in  Mexico,  especially 
in  these  times  of  ferment — the  mission,  on  the  one 
hand,  of  trying  to  save  masses  of  the  people  who 
deserve  compassion  because,  as   those  of  old,  they 

11 


INTRODUCTION 

are  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd;  and,  secondly,  of 
holding  up  before  the  Roman  Church  itself  the 
spiritual  ideals  of  the  gospel.  The  Roman  Church 
is  fitted  to  make  a  great  appeal  to  all  Latin-Ameri- 
can peoples,  but  the  appeal  will  come  to  naught  if 
the  emphasis  is  not  kept  more  truly  upon  spiritual 
essentials.  In  this  day  of  seething  revolutionary 
change  the  question  is  not  whether  Mexico  is  to  be 
Protestant  or  Catholic,  but  whether  Mexico  is  to  be 
religious  at  all.  A  book  like  this  of  Dr.  Butler's 
is  full  of  encouragement,  as  showing  us  the  respon- 
siveness of  the  Mexican  people  to  sincere  preaching 
of  the  gospel. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  speak  at  length  of  Dr. 
Butler  himself.  Son  of  the  founder  of  Methodist 
missions  in  Mexico,  he  has  been  familiar  with  Prot- 
estant work  in  Mexico  from  the  beginning.  A  man 
of  broad  and  tolerant  spirit,  he  nevertheless  sees 
that  the  only  salvation  for  the  Latin-American  peo- 
ples is  a  rigid  emphasis  upon  the  spiritual  essentials 
of  the  gospel.  Dr.  Butler  knew  Mexico  in  the  old 
chaotic  days  before  Porfirio  Diaz.  He  was  familiar 
with  all  the  changes  that  wrought  themselves  out 
under  Diaz.  He  has  with  great  heroism  and  incal- 
culable self-sacrifice  kept  close  to  Mexico  during 
these  recent  stormy  years.  It  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  he  is  better  known  and  better  loved  by  the 
Mexican  people  than  any  other  American  in  Mexico. 
The  book  is  in  large  part  the  story  of  Dr.  Butler's 
own  achievement,  though  he  himself  would  protest 

12 


INTRODUCTION 

against  any  such  statement.  In  any  case,  the  Meth- 
odist movement  in  Mexico  has  always  centered 
around  Dr.  Butler.  He  speaks  with  authority  on 
the  themes  of  which  this  book  treats. 

Francis  J.  McConnell. 


13 


FOREWORD 

In  accord  with  suggestions  made  by  friends  in  the 
United  States,  as  well  as  many  missionaries  in 
Mexico,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  I  am  now  the 
only  surviving  missionary  personally  acquainted 
with  events  of  lasting  interest  connected  with  the 
earlier  years  of  the  mission  work  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  Mexico — events  which  possibly 
might  never  otherwise  be  recorded — I  have  under- 
taken to  give  herein  a  brief  history  of  the  first  forty- 
five  years  of  Methodism  in  this  country. 

It  is  not  often  that  a  mission  reaches  its  forty- 
fifth  year  without  having  such  a  history  in  print. 
It  is  true  that  we  have  Dr.  William  Butler's  Mexico 
in  Transition,  with  its  unparalleled  insight  into  the 
struggle  for  civil  and  religious  liberty,  but  that  work 
does  not  attempt  to  write  the  history  of  Methodism 
in  this  land.  Sketches  of  Mexico  is  only  an  intro- 
duction to  the  ancient  and  modern  history  of  this 
country,  with  scant  space  devoted  to  the  aims  of  our 
church.  Mexico  Coming  Into  Light  gives  but  a 
brief  outline  of  the  founding  of  the  mission,  without 
those  romantic  and  inspiring  series  of  events  which 
this  present  volume  attempts  to  supply.  Miss 
Clementina  Butler,  in  her  biography  of  our  father, 
William  Butler:  The  Founder  of  Two  Missions  of 

15 


FOREWORD 

the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  graphically  re- 
cords that  life,  but  only  incidentally  shows  the 
development  of  the  work  here.  Mrs.  John  W.  But- 
ler's volume,  Historic  Churches  in  Mexico,  is  un- 
doubtedly the  only  work  of  its  kind,  the  illustrations 
and  quaint  legends  of  which  include  no  reference  to 
Methodist  history.  Hence  there  would  seem  to  be  a 
place  for  this  volume,  the  production  of  which  has 
been  a  labor  of  love,  and  which  is  now  sent  out  with 
an  earnest  prayer  that  it  may  contribute  toward 
awakening  a  more  intense  interest  in  the  aims  and 
records  of  our  beloved  church  in  Mexico,  our  next- 
door  neighbor. 


16 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  FOUNDERS 

As  early  as  1836  the  General  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  appointed  a  committee 
to  consider  the  advisability  of  establishing  missions 
in  Mexico  and  South  America.  Before  the  end  of 
that  year  John  Dempster  was  sent  to  begin  work  in 
South  America,  but  Mexico  waited  nearly  forty 
years.  In  November,  1871,  the  Missionary  Commit- 
tee made  an  appropriation  of  $10,000  to  initiate  a 
work  in  this  republic,  and  in  November,  1872, 
selected  for  superintendent  William  Butler,  who 
twenty  years  before  had  been  appointed  to  similar 
work  in  India,  and,  by  an  interesting  coincidence, 
Bishop  Simpson  made  both  appointments. 

Three  events  worthy  of  note  gave  to  the  man 
selected  peculiar  preparation  for  this  field.  He  was 
converted  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  in  1837.  He  had  been 
a  devoted  member  of  the  Established  Church,  but  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  experienced  what  has  been  called 
"an  unmistakable  conversion  having  the  moral  force 
of  a  miracle."  The  story  of  that  experience  is 
thrillingly  told  in  the  first  chapter  of  William  But- 
ler: the  Founder  of  Two  Missions  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  At  that  time  Gideon  Ouseley, 
the  prince  of  Irish  missionaries  among  Roman  Cath- 

17 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

olics,  was  at  the  climax  of  his  power.  Among  the 
thousands  of  souls,  both  Catholic  and  Protestant, 
of  which  he  was  the  human  agent  to  bring  to  Christ, 
was  Lady  Crompton,  who  soon  afterward  taught  the 
young  man  who  was  later  called  to  be  the  superin- 
tendent of  our  Mexico  mission.  In  the  last  years 
of  Gideon  Ouseley's  life  the  Irish  Conference  was 
moved  to  appoint  men  to  special  work  among  the 
Catholics.  Under  such  influences  William  Butler 
came  in  touch  with  that  Conference,  and  that  the 
love  and  labors  of  that  gifted  missionary  had  a 
great  influence  on  his  mind  is  evident  from  the  fre- 
quent references  which  fell  from  his  lips. 

The  old  claim  that  what  one  does  soon  after 
conversion  he  is  likely  to  do  all  through  life  is  strik- 
ingly true  of  the  founder  of  the  mission  in  Mexico. 
Only  three  weeks  after  entering  upon  his  new  life 
he  saw  coming  out  of  the  cathedral  in  Dublin  an  old 
lady  whose  face  was  bathed  in  tears.  His  young 
heart,  all  aglow  with  the  love  of  God  and  genuine 
sympathy  for  all  his  children,  impelled  him  to  step 
forward  and  inquire  the  cause  of  her  distress.  The 
motherly  old  soul  replied,  in  touching  simplicity: 
"Why,  my  son,  I  am  crying  because  of  my  sins.  I 
have  been  to  the  father  confessor  and  he  has  pro- 
nounced words  of  absolution,  but,"  she  continued, 
placing  her  hand  over  her  heart,  "the  burden  is  still 
here."  The  youthful  convert  asked  if  he  might 
relate  what  God  had  done  for  him  in  the  taking  away 
of  his  sins.     She  assented,  and  as  soon  as  he  had 

18 


William  Bitlek 


THE  FOUNDERS 

finished,  the  old  lady  said,  "My  dear,  do  you  think 
he  would  do  it  for  me?"  With  earnestness  of  soul 
he  pleaded  with  her  to  have  done  with  penances,  and 
in  true  penitence  and  faith  to  cast  herself  at  the  feet 
of  the  "Lamb  of  God,"  which  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world."  The  Great  Day  alone  will  reveal  the 
result  of  that  appeal,  but  that  hour  confirmed 
William  Butler's  lifelong  interest  in  the  conversion 
of  Roman  Catholics. 

The  second  event  which  especially  prepared  him 
was  the  discovery  which  he  made  on  reaching  India, 
in  1856,  of  the  lamentable  failure  of  Roman  Cathol- 
icism in  that  country.  He  writes  to  the  effect  that 
the  historic  church  never  had  a  grander  opportunity. 
Six  hundred  years  ago  Rome  sent  her  first  mission- 
aries to  India,  and  through  succeeding  centuries  has 
undertaken  her  propaganda  in  Ceylon,  as  well  as 
on  both  the  east  and  the  west  coasts  of  the  peninsula, 
penetrating  inland  as  far  as  Agra,  where  her  mis- 
sions were  under  the  direction  of  the  heroic  Francis 
Xavier.  Yet  to-day,  after  six  centuries,  even  with 
her  method  of  counting,  and  after  having  the  back- 
ing of  several  governments,  such  as  France,  Portu- 
gal, and  Italy,  she  records  no  more  converts  than 
Protestant  missions  have  recorded  of  its  adult  mem- 
bership in  only  two  hundred  years  of  history.  Indica- 
tions are  that  our  own  branch  of  the  church  alone, 
with  but  sixty-two  years  of  opportunity,  may  soon 
outnumber  the  ingathering  of  all  the  missions  of 
Rome  in  India.     William  Butler's  conclusions  were 

19 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

similar  to  those  of  Bishop  Cotton,  of  the  Anglican 
Church,  who  in  1864  wrote  to  Dean  Stanley  concern- 
ing Francis  Xavier  as  follows :  "I  confess  that  while 
he  deserves  the  title  of  'The  Apostle  of  India'  for  his 
energy,  self-sacrifice,  and  piety,  I  consider  his  whole 
method  thoroughly  wrong,  its  results  in  Ceylon  and 
India  most  deplorable ;  and  the  aspects  of  the  natives 
at  Goa  and  elsewhere  show  that  Romanism  has  had 
a  fair  trial  at  the  conversion  of  India  and  has  en- 
tirely failed."  Even  the  Abbe  DuBois,  who  had 
twenty -five  years  of  opportunity  to  follow  up 
Xavier's  work,  disheartened  by  the  apparent  im- 
possibility of  making  real  converts,  left  the  country 
in  disgust.  True,  but  why?  Because  Rome  at- 
tempted to  temporize  with  paganism  in  the  matter 
of  dress,  customs,  and  religious  practices.  Just  in 
proportion  as  her  missionaries  did  this  they  went 
far  afield  from  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ. 
These  facts  are  truthfully  and  graphically  brought 
out  in  the  third  chapter  of  The  Land  of  the  Veda, 
where  the  author  further  shows  how  the  Moham- 
medan Emperor  Shah  Jehan  finally  gave  orders  to 
"expel  those  idolaters  from  my  kingdom."  Then  he 
adds,  "Such  wrong  did  Romanism  to  India." 

The  third  event  was  the  election  of  William  Butler 
as  secretary  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian 
Union  in  1869.  This  was  a  society  established  for 
work  in  Catholic  and  Greek  countries.  This  or- 
ganization carried  on  a  work  in  Mexico,  and  for 
three  years  Dr.  Butler  traveled  extensively,  pleading 

20 


THE  FOUNDERS 

the  cause  before  churches,  camp  meetings,  colleges, 
and  Conferences,  always  urging  that  Catholics  at 
home  and  abroad,  if  approached  in  a  noncontrover- 
sial  spirit,  might  and  should  be  led  into  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  better  Christian  life.  What  he  preached 
he  practiced,  and  frequently  availed  himself  of 
opportunities.  On  one  occasion,  being  delayed  at 
a  railway  junction,  he  sought  out  the  priest  of  the 
town  and  asked  permission  to  tell  his  experience. 
After  half  an  hour's  talk  he  said:  "This  is  what  my 
religion  has  done  for  me.  What  has  yours  done  for 
you?"  While  this  was  the  spirit  which  animated 
him,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  use  plain  language  in 
pointing  out  the  gross  errors  of  the  Roman  hier- 
archy. Bishop  Harris  said  that  the  most  telling 
arraignment  of  the  papacy  he  had  ever  heard  was 
in  a  sermon  by  William  Butler  on  the  text  of  II 
Thess.  2.  4 ;  but  his  heart  went  out  in  sympathy  for 
the  individual,  and  his  favorite  text  was,  "Brethren, 
my  heart's  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel  is, 
that  they  might  be  saved."  In  the  spirit  of  this 
prayer  William  Butler  came  to  Mexico. 

After  his  appointment  it  required  two  months  to 
close  his  relations  with  the  American  and  Foreign 
Christian  Union,  and  as  the  appropriation  of  $10,- 
000  had  been  made  for  the  Mexico  field  for  1872, 
and  as  the  rule  of  the  society  was  that  unused  appro- 
priations lapse  if  not  drawn  before  December  first, 
it  was  arranged  that  Bishop  Haven  should  proceed 
immediately  to  Mexico.     He  arrived  at  Vera  Cruz 

21 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

in  December,  and  on  Christmas  Day  was  a  passenger 
on  the  first  through  train  on  the  newly  constructed 
road  to  Mexico  City.  Two  days  later  he  went  to 
the  London  Bank  and  drew  the  $10,000  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  arrival  of  the  superintendent.  During 
his  stay  he  visited  the  important  cities  of  Pachuca 
and  Puebla,  gathering  much  valuable  information, 
returning  finally  by  the  land  route  to  the  Texas 
border,  that  he  might  obtain  further  information. 
The  trip  required  twenty  days  of  hard  travel  in  the 
old-fashioned  stagecoach,  and  during  the  journey 
the  bishop's  favorite  seat  was  by  the  side  of  the 
driver.  His  racy  articles,  first  read  with  great  in- 
terest by  his  former  constituency  in  Zion's  Herald, 
were  afterward  published  in  book  form  under  the 
title  of  Our  Next-Door  Neighbor.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  fascinating  volumes  we  have  read  on  Mexico. 
This  royal  son  of  New  England  was  always  a  true 
friend  and  earnest  supporter  of  the  Mexico  mission. 
Neither  his  own  immediate  responsibility  for  Italy 
nor  his  visit  to  Africa  diminished  his  deep  interest 
in  the  land  of  Moctezuma. 

The  missionary  secretary,  Dr.  Thomas  M.  Eddy, 
entered  most  enthusiastically  into  the  plans  for  the 
new  work.  He  wrote,  "We  will  do  all  we  can  for 
Mexico,"  and  "Mexico  must  be  sustained,  and  that 
with  men  and  money."  He  sent  hearty  congratula- 
tions when  the  cloisters  of  San  Francisco  were  se- 
cured as  mission  headquarters,  as  well  as  when  the 
two  young  men  came  out  to  reenforce  the  work.     It 


THE  FOUNDERS 

was  his  plan  to  visit  the  field,  but  an  unexpected 
suspension  of  steamship  service  between  New  York 
and  Vera  Cruz  prevented. 

Matthew  Simpson,  Gilbert  Haven,  Thomas  M. 
Eddy,  and  William  Butler — what  a  magnificent 
quartet  of  workers  cooperated  in  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  this  new  mission! 


23 


CHAPTER  II 
A  PREPARED  FIELD 

God  prepares  fields  as  well  as  workers.  In  this 
sense  Mexico  is  a  most  interesting  subject  for  study. 
The  country  contains  767,326  square  miles,  equal 
to  about  one  fourth  the  territory  of  the  United 
States.  In  1845,  1848,  and  1853  Mexico  lost  930,- 
590  square  miles.  Texas,  California,  Colorado,  Ari- 
zona, New  Mexico,  Utah,  and  Nevada,  part  of 
Wyoming  and  part  of  Kansas  once  belonged  to 
Mexico.  Honest  students  of  history  blush  for  the 
manner  by  which  the  United  States  government  ac- 
quired some  of  Mexico's  lost  provinces.  Though 
too  late  to  criticize,  it  is  not  too  late  to  pray  that 
He  who  overrules  mistakes  of  nations,  as  well  as  of 
individuals,  will,  in  his  own  way,  compensate  for  the 
injustice  done  a  weaker  nation. 

The  republic  is  divided  into  twenty-seven  states, 
three  territories,  and  one  federal  district.  The 
population  is  about  15,000,000,  though  the  country 
could  easily  maintain  50,000,000.  Nineteen  per 
cent  of  the  people  are  of  European  descent,  thirty- 
eight  per  cent  mixed,  and  forty-three  per  cent  pure 
Indians. 

The  conquerors  of  the  sixteenth  century  found 
here  hoary  empires,  cities  long  lost  in  ruins,  temples 


A  PREPARED  FT  ELD 

and  places  of  whose  origin  little  could  be  learned, 
pyramids  rivaling  those  of  Egypt,  hieroglyphic  in- 
scriptions   which    time   had    well-nigh    effaced,    and 
many  evidences  of  an  ancient  civilization   superior 
in  some  respects  to  that  of  the  Spaniards  themselves. 
The  history  of  these  ancient  peoples,  with  its  elo- 
quent  evidences   of  departed   glory,   is   enchanting. 
Their  origin  and  how  long  they  had  preceded  the 
conquerors,  opens  up  a  delightful  study  and  presents 
a  problem  regarding  which  many  theories  have  been 
advanced.     Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa  all  contributed 
their  contingents.     Interest  in  the  theories  suggested 
becomes  intense  when  the  Old  Testament  is  quoted 
to  sustain  the  argument.     Especially  is  this  the  case 
when  King  Solomon  and  his   father's   tried  friend, 
King    Hiram,    are    summoned    by    an    old    Spanish 
author  to  relate  how  they  sent  to  Mexico  for  ma- 
terial for  the  building  and  the  beautifying  of  the 
temple.     In  view  of  the  fact  that  one  hundred  and 
fifty  languages  or  dialects  were  spoken  in  Mexico, 
it  is  evident  that  the  early  inhabitants  did  not  all 
come    to    that    land    from    the    same    country,    and 
whether  or  not  we  may  be  able  to  prove  their  various 
origins  and  the  epoch  of  each  migration,  the  fact 
remains  that  ages  before  Columbus  or  Cortes  was 
born  great  empires  swayed  their  scepters  from  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  to  Bering  Straits. 

Le  Plongeon  asserts  that  the  pyramids  of  Mexico 
antedate  those  of  Egypt,  and  that  Maya  civilization 
spread  all  the  way  to  India.     Dupaix  contends  that 

25 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

the  Palenque  ruins  are  older  than  the  Flood,  and 
Charney  believes  that  these  same  ruins  hold  the  key 
that  some  day  will  decide  the  question  of  ancient 
American  civilization.  About  one  hundred  years 
ago  Humboldt  set  scientists  and  archaeologists  guess- 
ing as  to  the  mysterious  pyramid  of  Cholula,  and 
some  Mexican  writers  aver  that  Quetzalcoatl,  the 
hero  of  Lew  Wallace's  The  Fair  God,  was  none  other 
than  the  apostle  Saint  Thomas,  who  on  his  visit  to 
Mexico  first  introduced  Christianity  on  the  Ameri- 
can continent.  The  two  pyramids  of  Teotihuacan 
and  the  ruins  of  Mitla  are  mute  witnesses  of  these 
unsolved  mysteries. 

When  the  Spaniards  first  came  these  ruins  and 
monuments  were  so  ancient  that  the  Toltecs  and 
Aztecs  could  give  only  the  scantiest  information 
concerning  any  of  them;  yet  the  first  named  tribe 
crossed  the  Bering  Straits  in  the  seventh  century 
— nine  hundred  years  before  the  arrival  of  the 
Spaniards. 

Then  came  the  Chichimecas,  the  Aztecs,  and  other 
nomadic  tribes.  Antedating  all  these  a  hazy  legend- 
ary history  takes  us  back  one  thousand  years  before 
the  Christian  era  to  the  coming  of  the  Nahua  tribes. 
The  descendants  of  these  all  are  known  as  Mexicans, 
though  one  can  still  distinguish  seventeen  different 
families  scattered  over  the  country  with  distinctive 
tribal  languages  and  dialects,  as  well  as  ancient 
manners  and  customs.  A  considerable  portion  of 
these    usages    are    grossly    idolatrous,    excessively 

26 


A  PREPARED  FIELD 

superstitious,  abounding  in  omens  and  witchcraft. 
In  some  cases  their  annual  festivals  are  strange 
mixtures  of  paganism  and  Christianity.  Reliable 
evidence  is  at  hand  to  affirm  that,  whatever  their 
conditions,  these  early  nomads  came  hither  in  quest 
of  goodly  lands  and  favorable  climate,  which  they 
found  here  and  were  in  possession  for  centuries  be- 
fore any  white  man  came  to  disturb  them. 

The  distinguished  French  writer  Lemprieve  says : 
"The  merciful  hand  of  Providence  has  bestowed  on 
the  Mexicans  a  magnificent  land,  abounding  in  re- 
sources of  all  kinds — a  land  where  none  ought  to  be 
poor  and  where  misery  ought  to  be  unknown ;  a  land 
where  products  and  riches  of  every  kind  are  as 
abundant  and  as  varied  as  they  are  rich.  It  is  a 
wonderfully  fertile  country,  endowed  to  profusion 
with  every  gift  that  man  can  desire  or  enjoy:  all 
the  metals  from  gold  to  lead;  every  sort  of  climate 
from  perpetual  snow  to  tropical  heat."  One  third 
of  all  the  silver  in  the  world's  market  to-day  has 
come  out  of  the  mines  of  Mexico,  and  about  one 
fourth  of  all  the  gold.  What  a  prosperous  and 
happy  country  Mexico  might  have  become  if,  to  her 
shores  instead  of  conquerors,  colonists  teaching  and 
practicing  pure  Christianity  had  come ! 

Four  hundred  years  have  passed  since  the 
Spaniards  set  foot  on  the  Isla  de  Sacrificios,  not  far 
from  Vera  Cruz.  Two  years  later  came  Cortes,  and 
before  long  he  and  his  adventurous  followers,  having 
burned  their  ships,  pushed  on  to  the  hills  of  Mocte- 

27 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

zuma.  In  their  victorious  but  bloody  march  idols 
were  cast  down  and  images  of  Spanish  make  were 
substituted ;  pagan  temples  were  destroyed  or  turned 
into  churches;  converts  were  made  by  thousands, 
oftentimes  under  the  persuasive  eloquence  of  spike 
and  gun ;  native  emperors  were  won  either  by  decep- 
tion or  military  prowess  till  Cortes  reached  the  Aztec 
capital  in  November,  1519.  On  that  day  he  placed 
on  the  neck  of  Moctezuma  a  necklace  of  glass  beads, 
imitation  of  pearls  and  diamonds — trinkets  as  false 
as  his  verbal  assurances,  and  symbolic  of  his  subse- 
quent treatment  of  a  noble  race. 

After  a  year  Cortes  was  confirmed  by  the  emperor 
Charles  V  as  governor-general  of  Mexico.  The  cruel 
execution  of  Guatemoctzin,  successor  and  nephew 
of  Moctezuma,  together  with  some  princes  of  adjoin- 
ing states,  "lest  they  rebel  against  the  new  order," 
is  one  of  the  darkest  pages  of  the  tragedy  which 
resulted  in  the  Spanish  rule  in  Mexico.  The  spirit 
of  the  inquisitors,  which  led  many  Spanish  kings  and 
their  subjects  to  hunt  unhappy  heretics  like  wild 
beasts,  seemed  infused  into  those  who  came  to  subju- 
gate the  new  world,  resulting  in  that  misrule  and 
oppression  which  has  characterized  Spain's  conduct 
in  every  subject  land.  Witness  the  Philippines, 
where  they  enriched  themselves  and  impoverished 
the  natives.  Priests  and  viceroys  were  all  mission- 
aries. With  more  of  a  militant  than  evangelistic 
note  they  cried,  "In  hoc  signo  vinces,"  and  aided  by 
the  soldiers,  who  were  led  to  believe  that  they  were 

28 


A  PREPARED  FIELD 

apostles  bound  to  convert  as  well  as  to  conquer,  at 
the  end  of  ten  years  the  country  was  declared  to  be 
Christian.  After  this  wholesale  and  superficial 
Christianizing  of  the  people,  the  crown  authorized 
the  partitioning  of  the  land  among  the  soldiers  and 
established  a  system  of  excessive  tribute  and  a  sys- 
tem of  compulsory  service  by  which  the  Indian  tilled 
the  ground  for  the  benefit  of  his  foreign  masters. 

In  three  hundred  years  Mexico  had  one  hundred 
and  seventy  viceroys,  of  whom  only  four  were  born 
on  Mexican  soil;  and  of  the  six  hundred  captains- 
general  only  four  were  not  born  in  Spain.  The 
feudal  system  of  Europe,  intensified,  was  put  into 
force.  The  clergy,  those  in  military  life,  and  other 
favored  Spaniards  were  exempt  from  civil  tribunals, 
and  native  Mexicans  were  given  no  voice  in  govern- 
ment affairs.  Taxes  for  the  crown  and  church  were 
universal,  and  under  penalty  of  death  Mexicans 
could  only  trade  with  Spaniards,  while  anything  that 
Spain  could  produce  was  not  to  be  produced  in 
Mexico.  One  fifth  of  all  the  gold  and  silver  must 
go  to  the  king,  and  all  offices,  civil  and  ecclesiastical, 
were  sold.  In  addition  to  this,  sacraments  and  reli- 
gious rites  of  every  kind  had  their  tariff,  while 
licenses  for  sin  under  the  Bill  for  Compensation  were 
sold  to  the  new  converts,  provided  that  not  more 
than  fifty  licenses  should  be  sold  to  the  same  person 
in  one  year. 

Viceroys  and  their  satellites,  bishops  and  priests, 
accumulated  enormous  wealth,  while  the  multitudes 

29 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

remained  in  direst  poverty  and  ignorance.  At  one 
time  the  clericals  of  Mexico  City  owned  three  fourths 
of  the  real  estate,  with  proportionate  holdings 
throughout  the  country.  At  the  end  of  the  three 
hundred  years  less  than  half  a  million  foreigners 
ruled  some  twelve  million  natives  with  a  cruel  des- 
potism. Can  it  be  wondered  at  that  the  Mexican, 
weary  of  the  heavy  burdens,  became  a  revolutionist? 
With  only  a  tithe  of  such  burdens  Spain  herself  re- 
volted against  a  strange  blending  of  political  and 
ecclesiastical  tyranny.  A  mere  taste  of  such  des- 
potism produced  the  French  Revolution,  and  the 
American  people  in  1776  rose  as  one  man  to  secure 
for  themselves  "life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness."  These,  in  turn,  had  before  them  the 
examples  of  the  great  English  revolutions  of  1640 
and  1688,  which  made  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  always 
and  everywhere  the  unalterable  exponent  of  the  civil 
and  religious  rights  of  men.  The  echo  of  these  great 
movements  reached  Mexico  and,  for  that  matter,  all 
Latin  America.  Eighteen  hundred  and  ten  was  the 
year,  and  Miguel  Hidalgo  y  Costilla  the  human 
agent — first  of  a  line  of  valiant  men  and  women  who 
rested  not  till,  in  1821,  Mexico  became  free  from 
Spanish  tyranny.  This,  however,  was  but  the  begin- 
ning. The  power  of  kingcraft  was  broken,  but 
priestcraft  remained,  and,  as  in  Colombia  and  Peru, 
the  higher  clergy  were  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
liberties  gained  at  such  immense  sacrifice.  In  1829 
the   church   joined   in    a    futile   attempt   to    restore 

30 


A  PREPARED  FIELD 

Spanish  rule.  In  1838,  when  trouble  arose  with 
France,  and  in  1846-48,  during  the  American  inter- 
vention, and  again  in  1862-67,  during  the  French 
intervention,  the  higher  clergy  were  against  the 
established  government.  The  French  intervention 
was  their  supreme  endeavor  to  crush  the  Liberals 
and  reinstate  the  church  in  the  seat  of  civil  power. 
In  this  plot  were  involved  the  Archbishop  of  Mexico ; 
Louis  Napoleon  of  France;  the  House  of  Haps- 
burg  in  the  person  of  Maximilian;  his  ambitious 
wife,  Carlota,  princess  of  Belgium;  and  Pope  Pius 
IX — prince,  potentate,  and  pope  in  league  to 
trample  upon  the  sacred  rights  of  the  Mexican 
people  and  at  all  costs  to  set  up  again  foreign  rule 
on  Mexican  soil  with,  of  course,  the  civil  power  sub- 
servient to  ecclesiastical  influence.  The  time  which 
to  the  astute  counselors  of  the  Vatican  seemed 
propitious  was  when  the  United  States  was  engaged 
in  its  civil  conflict,  which  they  hoped  would  disrupt 
the  Union.  To  this  end  the  "infallible"  pope  sent 
his  blessing  to  Jefferson  Davis,  and  Abbe  Domeneck 
predicted  that  the  Southern  States,  segregated  from 
the  North,  would  join  with  Maximilian's  empire, 
and,  ten  years  later,  an  emperor  would  replace  the 
last  of  American  Presidents  at  Washington,  and  a 
great  Catholic  empire  would  spread  both  North  and 
South  over  all  three  Americas,  the  crowning  event 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  It  doubtless  appeared 
a  beautiful  dream  to  Louis  Napoleon  and  his  Holi- 
ness the  Pope,  no  less  than  to  some  of  the  Catholic 

31 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

states  of  Europe,  which  were  more  than  ready  to 
reenforce  the  enterprise  with  an  increasing  flow  of 
immigration,  and  thus  hasten  the  doom  of  freedom 
and  republican  institutions  on  the  entire  western 
hemisphere. 

The  unfortunate  Maximilian,  encouraged  beyond 
his  own  convictions  by  his  ambitious  young  wife, 
finally  accepted  the  proffered  crown,  repaired  to 
Rome  for  the  papal  blessing,  and  set  sail  for  Mexico 
in  the  face  of  earnest  protests  on  the  part  of  a 
special  embassy  which  crossed  the  sea  to  warn  him 
that  the  Mexican  nation  was  not  a  party  to  any 
such  intrigue  and  would  never  submit.  Yet  he  came, 
supported  by  French  and  Austrian  troops  and  aided 
by  Archbishop  Labastida's  betrayal  of  his  native 
country.  Maximilian  was  crowned  with  great  pomp 
in  the  Cathedral  of  Mexico  City  on  June  12,  1864, 
but  momentous  events  led  up  to  his  tragic  end  three 
years  later.  In  the  first  place,  Maximilian  discov- 
ered too  late  that  the  archbishop's  delegate,  Almonte, 
had  assured  him  falsely  in  Europe  that  the  Liberals 
of  Mexico  were  "without  character."  In  the  second 
place,  he  and  his  supporters  in  Europe  were 
astounded  at  the  collapse  of  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy and  were  thrown  into  hopeless  confusion 
when  Secretary  Seward  sent  his  note  to  the  French 
court  objecting  to  the  presence  of  European  troops 
on  the  American  continent. 

When,  recognizing  the  stress  of  their  situation, 
the  Empress  Carlotta  sailed  for  Europe  to  make  her 

32 


A  PREPARED  FIELD 

futile  appeal  to  Napoleon  III  and  then  to  the  pope, 
Maximilian  did  not  accompany  her,  but  four  months 
later  essayed  to  retire,  going  as  far  as  Orizava,  two 
thirds  of  the  way  to  Vera  Cruz.  He  attempted  to 
sign  an  abdication  of  the  throne,  but  the  head  of 
the  church  in  Mexico,  again  untrue  to  his  country, 
induced  him  to  withdraw  this  and  to  return  to 
Mexico  City,  with  promises  of  support  of  troops  and 
funds.  The  archbishop  was  unable  to  make  his 
promise  good,  so  four  months  later  Maximilian  left, 
this  time  going  northward,  believing  that  he  might 
reach  Tampico  or  the  Texas  frontier.  But  in  Quere- 
taro  he  was  obliged  to  surrender,  and  was  court- 
martialed,  and  under  his  own  "Black  Decree"  con- 
demned to  die.  The  appeals  for  his  life  from  various 
governments  of  Europe  were  answered  by  the  follow- 
ing facts :  First,  before  leaving  Europe  Maximilian 
was  clearly  warned  by  a  commission  sent  from 
Mexico  for  the  purpose  that  he  was  being  deceived 
by  the  Conservatives,  that  the  Mexican  people  did 
not  want  him,  would  not  receive  him,  and  if  he  per- 
sisted in  coming,  would  treat  him  as  a  usurper.  Sec- 
ondly, the  same  measure  that  he  had  meted  out  was 
measured  to  him  again.  His  famous  "Black  Decree" 
had  been  applied  to  hundreds  of  officers  of  the  Liberal 
army  who  had  been  unfortunate  enough  to  fall  into 
his  hands  and  had  been  "condemned  to  capital  pun- 
ishment .  .  .  and  executed  within  twenty-four 
hours."  In  the  third  place,  it  was  necessary  to  set 
forth   unmistakably   to    all    Europe   that   American 

33 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

institutions  must  not  be  overthrown  either  by  pope 
or  potentate  from  across  the  seas.  Fourthly, 
Mexico  said:  "In  the  person  of  Maximilian  we  have 
the  whole  situation  in  our  hands.  At  present  there 
is  no  heir.  If  we  let  him  go  now,  there  may  be,  and 
who  knows  whether  in  some  weak  hour  of  our  future 
national  life  a  pretender  to  the  throne  may  present 
himself,  backed  by  foreign  bayonets?  We  dare  not 
let  him  go."  And  when  Maximilian  paid  the  awful 
price  of  his  folly,  though  that  price  was  a  fearful 
one,  Europe  learned  a  lesson  that  made  all  America 
safer  than  ever  before.  America  is  not  congenial  soil 
for  monarchical  institutions. 

The  Liberals  did  not  stop  with  the  execution  of 
the  tool  of  the  Napoleonic-papal  intrigue.  Just  as 
soon  as  Juarez,  whose  faith  in  the  righteousness  of 
his  cause  never  failed,  reinstated  his  government  in 
the  national  capital,  he  and  his  counselors  made  a 
serious  study  of  all  conditions  in  any  way  related  to 
the  years  of  terrible  struggle  through  which  they 
had  passed,  and  which  had  not  only  cost  them  thou- 
sands of  lives  but  had  threatened  their  very  existence 
as  a  nation.  Maximilian  was  gone,  the  French  and 
Austrian  troops  were  gone,  and  the  Conservative 
party  had  received  a  mortal  blow.  But,  like  the 
serpent  lurking  in  the  grass,  the  element  of  danger 
was  still  abroad.  The  sad  experience  of  the  past 
could  not  be  forgotten.  The  church  party,  which 
during  the  century  had  four  times  abetted  foreign 
wars,  and  secret  religious  societies  occupied  in  fo- 

34 


A  PREPARED  FIELD 

menting  revolutions,  must  be  given  to  understand 
that  henceforth  the  government  would  take  care  of 
politics  without  their  aid,  and  most  emphatically 
would  no  longer  brook  such  organizations  as  had  for 
their  object  "the  subjugation  of  our  people  to  a 
foreign  despotism  that  has  its  seat  in  Rome."  The 
Constitution  of  1857,  which  the  empire  would  have 
abolished,  and  which  had  provided  for  the  complete 
separation  of  church  and  state,  for  religious  tolera- 
tion and  for  the  confiscation  of  the  immense  holdings 
of  the  church  which  had  been  unjustly  wrung  from 
the  hands  of  the  people  through  the  confessional  and 
extravagant  sacramental  tariffs,  was  reenforced  by 
the  Reform  Laws  and  brought  about  the  expatria- 
tion of  all  secret  religious  orders  such  as  Jesuits, 
nuns,  Sisters  of  Charity,  etc.  Absolute  freedom 
of  worship  and  of  the  press  was  guaranteed.  Benito 
Juarez,  who  had,  under  God,  been  raised  up  from  a 
barefooted  little  Indian  of  an  obscure  mountain  vil- 
lage of  Oaxaca  to  be  state  deputy  and  later  gov- 
ernor, national  congressman,  cabinet  officer,  and 
finally  president  of  the  nation,  won  the  title  of  the 
"Father  of  Reform,"  and  by  Secretary  Seward  was 
declared  to  be  the  greatest  man  he  ever  met.  He  not 
only  encouraged  religious  toleration,  but  declared  to 
one  of  our  early  preachers,  from  whose  lips  I  heard 
it,  "Upon  the  development  of  Protestantism  depends 
the  future  happiness  and  prosperity  of  my  nation." 
This  view  was  shared  not  only  by  many  of  his  col- 
leagues after  the  collapse  of  the  French  intervention, 

35 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

but  is  an  opinion  freely  expressed  by  the  leaders  of 
the  recent  revolution. 

Had  Abbe  Domenech's  prophecy  that  Napoleon's 
empire  in  Mexico  was  to  be  the  crowning  event  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  received  its  ultimate  fulfill- 
ment, Benito  Juarez'  struggle  would  have  been  a 
failure,  and  this  otherwise  favored  land  would  have 
remained  indefinitely  closed  to  our  gospel  teaching. 
Had  Spain  continued  to  have  her  way,  the  Bible  she 
rejected  in  her  own  country  in  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury, though  prepared  for  her  in  her  own  tongue,  and 
the  benefits  of  the  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, from  which  she  likewise  turned  away,  would 
not  have  reached  Mexico.  Had  she  received  both 
before  adopting  her  world-wide  expansion  policy, 
what  different  pages  of  history  might  have  been 
written!  Spain  might  have  forever  enjoyed  the 
honor  of  setting  forward  the  world's  evangelization 
by  three  hundred  years.  Due  to  her  blind,  short- 
sighted course,  every  country  in  America,  after  three 
centuries  of  oppression  and  despotism,  has  thrown 
off  her  yoke  and  now  endeavors  to  fight  its  own  way 
out  into  the  blessings  of  civil  and  religious  rights. 
The  providence  of  God  has  overturned  plans  of  men 
and  prepared  the  way  for  the  coming  of  his  kingdom 
in  Mexico.  All  these  significant  facts  in  this  erst- 
while priest-ridden  and  downtrodden  country  clearly 
indicate  a  challenge  to  the  evangelical  church.  God 
now  expects  his  people  who  have  more  perfectly 
guarded  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light  to  do 

36 


A   PREPARED  FIELD 

the  rest,  that  is,  to  do  their  utmost  to  hasten  the 
glad  day  when  a  liberal  education,  the  open  Bible, 
the  living  Christ,  and  the  comforts  of  conscious 
personal  salvation  shall  be  an  experience  enjoyed  by 
the  millions  of  Mexico. 


37 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  FIRST  YEARS 

The  man  who  was  to  lay  the  foundations  of  Meth- 
odism in  this  republic  reached  the  City  of  Mexico 
February  23,  1873,  and  was  met  by  Bishop  Haven 
and  United  States  Consul  J.  A.  Skilton.  Within 
a  few  days  church  services  and  a  school  were  com- 
menced. A  class  meeting  had  been  organized  by 
Bishop  Haven,  for  soon  after  his  arrival  he  had 
found  three  Methodist  families — one  from  Ireland, 
one  from  England,  and  one  from  the  States.  An  old 
class  book  lies  before  me  as  I  write.  On  the  fly  leaf 
in  Bishop  Haven's  writing  I  read: 

First  Class  of  the  First 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

In 

Mexico 

Organized  January  26  (the  Lord's  Day) 

1873 

by  Gilbert  Haven 

Leader. 

Over  leaf  find  list  of  members  as  follows: 

Ignacio  Ramirez,  .  .  .  Arrcllano,  James  Evans,  John  Petherick, 

Mary  Petherick,  Mrs.  Hall,  Gabriel  Ponce  de  Leon 

Four  countries  are  represented  in  this  list.  With 
the  arrival  of  the  family  of  the  superintendent  and 
other  accessions  in  May,  the  class  had  sixteen  mem- 

38 


THE  FIRST  YEARS 

bers  and  two  probationers.  To-day,  1918,  with  our 
members  and  adherents  we  have  a  Methodist  family 
in  Mexico  of  over  twenty  thousand.  Our  day  schools 
enroll  nearly  five  thousand  pupils ;  our  properties 
are  worth  three  quarters  of  a  million  dollars,  gold, 
and  all  but  one  of  them  free  from  debt.  To  tell  how 
God  has  brought  this  to  pass  in  forty-five  years  in 
a  land  which  some  would  have  us  believe  is  not  con- 
genial to  Protestant  Christianity,  and  in  spite  of 
bitter  persecutions  in  the  earlier  years  and  disturbed 
conditions  in  these  later  years,  is  the  pleasing  task 
before  me. 

Early  in  March,  Bishop  Haven  set  out  on  his 
twenty  days'  coach  ride  across  country  having  as 
his  objective  the  Texas  frontier.  The  superintend- 
ent of  the  new  mission  gave  his  time  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  little  church  and  to  seeking  premises  for 
the  headquarters  of  a  work  whose  foundations  he 
was  instructed  to  lay  "deep  and  broad."  Before 
leaving  New  York  it  had  been  intimated  that  he 
might  secure  the  cloisters  of  San  Francisco,  the  old 
monastery  which  was  the  first  ever  erected  on  the 
American  continent.  Cortes  had  been  installed  as 
governor-general  in  the  New  World  but  a  short  time 
when  the  Franciscans  were  sent  to  Mexico,  backed 
by  magnificent  endowments.  Their  headquarters 
were  established  in  the  very  heart  of  the  capital  and 
on  the  very  spot  where  Moctezuma  had  his  pleasure 
palace.  In  course  of  time  the  monastery  became  one 
of  the  most  extensive  and  wealthy  monastic  institu- 

39 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

tions  of  the  world.  It  covered  what  is  now  four 
blocks  of  city  property  and  included  an  immense 
church  and  four  chapels.  In  the  center  was  a  large 
open  court  surrounded  by  cloisters,  whose  magnifi- 
cent carved  arches  and  stately  pillars  cost  vast  sums. 
Also  there  were  residences,  refectories,  gardens,  and 
everything  for  the  comfort  of  those  who  were  sup- 
posed to  be  shut  off  from  the  world.  The  place 
absorbed  fortunes,  and  the  resident  monks  controlled 
fortunes  besides,  yet  admitted  no  one's  right  to  ques- 
tion their  responsibility  or  to  impose  taxation  for 
the  support  of  the  government.  When  the  Liberals 
came  into  power  in  1859  they  claimed  that  the  large 
holdings  of  the  church  really  were  the  property  of 
the  nation  and  by  right  should  revert  to  it.  They 
also  claimed  that  these  monasteries  were  frequently 
the  hotbeds  of  conspiracy  and  that  the  nation  could 
do  better  without  them.  Hence,  in  1859,  these  insti- 
tutions throughout  the  country  were  taken  by  the 
government.  In  spite  of  strong  resistance  the  Mon- 
astery of  San  Francisco  was  one  of  the  first  to  be 
taken  over.  The  authorities  feared  neither  excom- 
munication nor  other  penalties,  and  on  the  refusal 
of  the  monks  to  hand  over  the  keys  ordered  the 
militia  to  cut  a  road  through  from  east  to  west — 
through  the  heart  of  this  institution,  affixing  at 
each  end  the  significant  sign,  "Street  of  Independ- 
ence." When  the  civil  authorities  entered  it  was 
discovered  that  sixteen  monks  only  had  been  enjoy- 
ing the  benefits   of  this   great   establishment.      The 

40 


THE  FIRST  YEARS 

property  was  divided  into  lots  and  sold  at  low  prices 
for  dwellings,  stores,  and  manufacturing  concerns. 

Another  street  was  cut  half  way  through  from 
north  to  south  and  was  given  the  name  of  "Gante," 
after  a  notably  good  friar  who  came  to  Mexico  at 
the  time  of  the  Conquest.  Immediately  after  the 
secularization  a  temporary  roof  was  placed  over  the 
cloisters  and  the  section  was  fitted  up  as  a  theater, 
but  devout  Catholic  women  protested  against  such 
desecration  and  the  theater  company  failed.  About 
this  time  the  National  Congress  Hall  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  the  theater  was  used  temporarily  for  the 
holding  of  their  sessions.  When  they  no  longer 
needed  it  a  circus  company  leased  it,  but  met  the 
same  fate  which  befell  the  theater  company.  This 
happened  just  before  the  arrival  of  the  superintend- 
ent of  the  new  Methodist  mission.  Hearing  about 
the  place,  he  imagined  it  might  serve  as  headquar- 
ters. Bishop  Haven  walked  past  one  day  and 
thought  the  location  was  satisfactory,  but  hardly 
dared  glance  at  the  property  for  fear  that  some 
Jesuit  looker-on  might  notice  and  report  the  danger 
to  the  priests.  Our  superintendent,  realizing  the 
delicacy  of  the  situation,  waited  until  a  late  hour  one 
night  and  then  knocked  at  the  great  door.  The 
sleepy  janitor,  who  at  first  hesitated  to  open,  was 
finally  induced  to  do  so  through  the  eloquent  argu- 
ment of  a  silver  dollar  and  the  declaration  that  the 
visitor  wanted  to  see  what  the  Circus  of  Chiarini  was 
like.     Lantern  in  hand,  the  janitor  showed  every  - 

41 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

thing  to  the  first  Methodist  who  had  ever  walked 
inside  the  historic  walls,  and  who  then  and  there 
concluded  that  the  property  was  just  what  he 
wanted.  We  will  let  him  tell  the  story  in  his  own 
words: 

"I  learned  that  one  of  the  parties  whose  signature 
was  necessary  was  a  fanatical  old  lady  who  would 
rather  see  the  building  go  up  in  smoke  than  sold 
to  Protestants.  What  to  do  I  could  not  imagine. 
We  needed  the  place  so  much;  the  location  was 
admirable,  central  yet  quiet;  and  our  work,  already 
begun,  was  suffering  for  lack  of  a  proper  center  of 
operations.  But  here  was  delay  and  uncertainty. 
We  could  only  seek  divine  help  and  wait.  Three 
weeks  later  I  was  standing  at  a  street  corner  con- 
versing with  a  friend  when  a  gentleman  passed  on 
the  other  side  of  the  street.  My  friend  signaled,  the 
stranger  crossed  over,  and  we  were  introduced.  Dur- 
ing the  conversation  India  was  mentioned.  'What,' 
said  I,  'have  you  been  in  India?' 

"  'Yes,  I  fought  under  Havelock,  and  was  one  of 
the  volunteer  cavalry  that  rode  with  him  into  Luck- 
now.' 

"Instantly  it  flashed  across  my  mind  that  here 
was  help  at  last  if  I  could  win  him. 

"  'Well,'  I  replied,  'I  have  done  my  best  to  immor- 
talize you  and  your  gallant  comrades.' 

"  'What  do  you  mean  ?'  said  he. 

"Asking  him  to  remain  where  we  were  for  a  few 
minutes,  I  hurried  to  the  hotel  and  took  a  copy  of 

42 


THE  FIRST  YEAES 

The  Land  of  the  Veda,  which  I  carried  back  and 
showed  to  him,  opened  at  the  portrait  of  General 
Havelock. 

"He  looked  at  it  astonished,  and  said,  'That  is 
indeed  our  illustrious  commander,'  and  commenced 
at  once  to  read  the  pages  that  refer  to  the  bravery 
of  the  heroes,  led  by  their  devout  general.  I  stood 
prayerfully  and  anxiously  waiting.  Finally,  turn- 
ing to  me,  he  said,  'How  much  I  would  like  to  possess 
this  book !' 

"  'Please  accept  it  as  a  gift  from  the  author.' 

"Thanking  me  with  genuine  heartiness,  he  ex- 
claimed, 'Is  there  not  something  I  could  do  for  you 
to  show  my  gratitude?' 

"I  had  learned  that  he  was  an  Irishman  and  a 
Catholic,  but  Providence  led  me  to  feel  that  he  could 
and  would  help  me,  so  I  replied,  'You  are  probably 
the  only  man  in  this  city  who  can  do  something  very 
necessary  for  me.' 

"  'What  is  it?' 

"I  explained  the  circumstances:  how  we  were 
anxious  to  secure  a  suitable  property  for  our  work, 
but  that  the  bigoted  old  lady  would  not  be  willing  to 
sell  to  us,  and  I  feared  to  trust  any  broker  in  the 
city  lest  they  should  be  induced  to  fail  us. 

"He  asked,  'Would  you  trust  me?' 

"I  felt  free  to  say  I  would. 

"  'Have  you  the  money  ?' 

"Yes,  the  money  was  ready  in  the  bank. 

"  'Well,  say  nothing  until  I  come  to  you.' 
43 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

"I  reminded  him  that  I  was  a  Protestant  mission- 
ary, and  that  he  was  a  Catholic,  but  he  said :  'What 
of  that?  Have  five  hundred  dollars  ready  for  me 
to-morrow.' 

"He  came  the  next  day,  took  the  money,  paid  the 
installment,  and  obtained  his  receipt.  The  property 
was  his  and  all  secure.  As  soon  as  the  papers  in  the 
case  were  ready  he  took  me  to  the  government  office 
and  made  out  a  deed  to  me  as  agent  of  the  missionary 
society  of  our  church,  and  the  Circus  of  Chiarini 
was  ours."1 

Our  acquisition  of  the  property  very  much  dis- 
turbed our  Catholic  friends,  and  in  one  of  the  cleri- 
cal organs  published  in  the  city  at  the  time  appeared 
the  following: 

"It  is  said  that  the  Protestants  have  purchased 
the  Chiarini  Circus.  As  is  known,  this  place  is 
formed  out  of  a  patio  of  the  Monastery  of  San 
Francisco.  O  venerated  shades  of  Belaunzaran  and 
Pinzon !  You  will  wander  lamenting  around  that 
place  sanctified  by  the  presence  of  the  sons  of  San 
Francisco,  and  which  is  profanated  in  a  descending 
scale,  by  rope-dancing,  immoral  shows,  licentious 
balls,  and  the  ceremonies  of  a  dissenting  sect  which 
is  the  enemy  of  the  church.  It  is  a  real  profanation, 
but  it  cannot  be  remedied,  for  power  protects  the 
profancrs."  The  first  price  paid  was  $16,300  silver. 
Since  then,  for  iron  roof,  new  residential  part,  and 
other  improvements,  we  have  laid  out  some  $40,000 

1  Mexico  in  Transition,  pp.  290,  291. 

44* 


THE  FIRST  YEARS 

more,  making  in  all  less  than  $60,000.  Twice  since 
we  have  refused  $300,000  for  the  property.  It  now 
includes  a  large  auditorium  which  will  seat  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  people ;  a  chapel,  or  vestry,  which 
will  accommodate  one  hundred  and  fifty;  the  Meth- 
odist Book  Concern  of  Mexico,  also  homes  for  two 
missionary  families  and  the  families  of  two  native 
pastors.  For  a  time  it  also  housed  in  the  second 
story  of  the  cloister  our  first  orphanage  and  day 
school.  In  addition  to  the  interesting  fact  already 
mentioned  that  this  is  the  first  convent  ever  built 
on  the  American  continent,  and  that  it  stood  on  the 
very  spot  previously  occupied  by  Moctezuma's  pleas- 
ure palace,  is  another  fact  recently  brought  out, 
to  the  effect  that  soon  after  the  cloisters  were  con- 
structed and  before  the  convent  was  entirely  done, 
Father  Gante  here  gathered  children  for  the  first 
primary  school  ever  established  in  this  country,  or, 
indeed,  in  any  other  country  of  the  western  hemi- 
sphere. Pity  that  the  good  friar's  successors  had 
not  followed  his  example  in  his  teachings  and  treat- 
ment of  the  people!  Alas  for  these  millions,  there 
were  few  like  Gante,  Las  Casas,  Motolinia,  and 
Quiroga  in  the  early  years  of  the  Conquest,  and 
fewer  still  in  the  after  years.  This  historic  building, 
so  providentially  acquired,  has  been  our  center  ever 
since.  From  its  dedication  on  Christmas  Day,  1873, 
as  a  Methodist  church,  the  blessed  gospel  has  been 
preached  within  its  walls  for  forty-five  years  and  in 
at  least  three  languages.     Our  principal  work  has 

45 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

been  carried  on  in  Spanish,  and  at  present,  besides 
five  different  services  every  Sabbath  in  that  language, 
our  doors  are  open  nearly  every  night  for  other 
Christian  activities,  while  a  noonday  prayer  meet- 
ing is  maintained. 

In  addition  to  the  services  in  this  building,  the 
mission  opened  two  or  three  small  halls  in  different 
parts  of  the  city.  As  street  preaching  is  prohibited 
by  law  in  this  country,  we  could  not  follow  methods 
so  effectively  used  in  other  lands.  This  prohibition 
was  not  intended  to  circumscribe  our  work,  but  was 
one  of  those  necessary  laws  growing  out  of  the 
abuses  of  olden  times  in  connection  with  public  reli- 
gious processions.  For  instance,  when  the  sacra- 
ment was  being  carried  through  the  streets  to  the 
home  of  the  dying,  everybody,  whether  Catholic  or 
not,  was  obliged  to  kneel  or  run  the  risk  of  being 
thrown  down.  American  Consul  Blake  relates  that 
an  American  shoemaker  in  1824  lost  his  life  for  not 
kneeling  as  the  Host  was  carried  past  his  shop,  and 
that  later,  when  he,  a  young  man  at  the  time,  at- 
tempted to  read  the  Protestant  burial  service  at 
the  side  of  the  grave,  the  handful  of  mourners  was 
stoned  by  fanatics,  and  after  the  service  the  body 
was  disinterred  by  the  mob.  Only  government  inter- 
vention finally  secured  permanent  rest  to  the  remains 
of  the  victim  of  unbridled  fanaticism.  As  far  as  can 
be  ascertained,  this  was  the  first  Protestant  service 
held  in  the  City  of  Mexico. 

During  the  inception  of  our  work  members  of  our 

46 


THE  FIRST  YEARS 

force  suffered  from  stone-throwing  In  these  little 
chapels.  In  Santa  Catarina,  which  was  near  a 
large  market,  missiles  were  frequently  thrown 
through  the  open  door,  and  one  night  a  stone  fell 
on  the  open  Bible  and  tore  out  part  of  the  page. 
The  nearest  parish  priest  had  been  heard  to  say  that 
he  would  prevent  us  from  holding  services  there. 
On  another  occasion  one  of  the  butchers  in  an  eve- 
ning service  so  flourished  a  large  butcher  knife  as 
to  throw  the  reflection  of  the  lamp  into  the  face  of 
the  preacher.  One  of  our  members,  a  strong  man 
who  had  been  a  policeman,  grappled  with  the  offend- 
er and  marched  him  to  the  police  station.  The  next 
day  some  of  the  butchers  declared,  "That  kind  of 
worship  is  all  right."  Only  a  short  time  before  they 
had  said  that  we  would  have  to  walk  over  their  dead 
bodies  if  we  opened  that  hall  for  Protestant  worship. 
None  of  these  persecutions  ever  discouraged  our 
workers,  and  with  gratitude  we  record  that  no  one 
was  ever  seriously  hurt  by  those  who  would  have 
prevented  the  planting  of  Methodism  in  Mexico  City. 
The  large  auditorium  in  Gante  Street,  being  cen- 
trally located,  has  been  frequently  used  on  important 
occasions.  The  Evangelical  Alliance  held  a  general 
Assembly  here  in  1888  with  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  delegates,  and  again,  in  1899,  with  a  much  larger 
number.  In  1910  a  National  Sunday  School  Con- 
vention was  held  here  with  a  large  delegation  from 
the  International  Sunday  School  Association,  under 
the  guidance  of  Mr.  Marion  Lawrance.     Memorial 

47 


M  ETHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

services  were  held  in  this  church  for  Emperor 
William  I  of  Germany,  President  Garfield,  and 
General  Grant.  On  each  occasion  the  president  of 
the  republic,  the  cabinet  officers,  the  diplomatic 
corps  of  the  capital,  and  other  distinguished  person- 
ages were  present. 

At  the  silver  anniversary  of  the  mission  there  was 
an  exchange  of  letters  between  the  venerable  founder 
of  the  mission,  then  residing  in  Newton  Center, 
Massachusetts,  and  the  president  of  Mexico.  In  his 
letter  William  Butler  wrote  to  the  president:  "May 
the  Eternal  Father  keep  and  guide  you  and  bring 
you  at  last  with  rejoicing  into  his  glorious  presence. 
And  for  Mexico  we  pray  that  peace  and  prosperity, 
together  with  the  greatest  riches  of  all  the  knowledge 
of  God,  may  be  her  inheritance  until  the  end  of  time." 


48 


CHAPTER  IV 

REENFORCEMENTS 

Bishop  Simpson  came  to  visit  the  mission  in 
February,  1874.  During  his  visit  there  was  an 
adjustment  of  the  small  band  of  workers.  Dr. 
Thomas  Carter  returned  to  the  New  York  East  Con- 
ference and  Dr.  W.  H.  Cooper  took  his  place  in 
Mexico  City.  He  was  a  presbyter  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  who  had  come  out  to  this  country  under  the 
auspices  of  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian 
Union  to  work  in  the  Church  of  Jesus,  an  independ- 
ent congregation.  Disappointed  with  the  conditions, 
he  sought  opportunity  to  work  with  the  Methodist 
missions.  He  was  an  excellent  Spanish  scholar  and 
a  good  theologian.  From  the  first  the  superintend- 
ent had  been  pleading  with  the  home  authorities  for 
reenforcements.  His  earnest  appeals  naturally 
found  a  hearty  response  in  New  England  through 
the  pages  of  Zion's  Herald.  Dr.  W.  F.  Warren, 
president  of  Boston  University,  and  Dr.  W.  F. 
Mallalieu — afterward  bishop — arranged  for  a 
Spanish  class  in  the  School  of  Theology  soon  after 
our  mission  was  established.  To  this  class  Bishop 
Simpson  and  Dr.  Butler  turned  their  attention. 
About  a  dozen  young  men  in  it  looked  forward  to 

49 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

missionary  work  in  South  America  or  Mexico.     At 
least  six  of  them  went  to  the  foreign  field. 

The  first  to  receive  appointment  was  myself,  doubt- 
less due  to  my  relation  to  the  superintendent.  My 
first  thought  had  been  of  Italy,  but  I  was  willing 
to  go  where  appointed,  and  this  being  reported  to 
Bishop  Simpson,  I  received  a  message  to  report  as 
soon  as  possible  in  Mexico  City.  During  my  course 
I  had  served  as  supply  pastor  of  a  little  church  in 
Boston,  where  during  my  stay  God  had  given  me  the 
joy  of  thirty  conversions,  and  I  dearly  loved  the 
people.  Farmer  Weatherbee  appeared  to  be  spe- 
cially happy  that  his  three  boys  had  been  brought 
into  the  fold.  The  day  after  the  announcement  of 
my  Mexico  appointment  he  came  and  with  consider- 
able emotion  offered,  if  I  would  stay,  to  double  his 
subscription  to  the  church  "and  give  you  all  the 
apples  you  can  eat  next  winter."  The  decision  had 
been  reached,  so  that  neither  salary  nor  apples  could 
change  it.  In  three  weeks'  time  I  closed  my  pas- 
torate and,  under  missionary  rule,  was  ordained. 
Within  a  week  after  I  received  my  appointment 
Charles  W.  Drees  was  also  called  to  Mexico.  He 
had  joined  the  Spanish  class,  and  President  Warren 
was  not  slow  to  discover  his  worth,  and  is  probably 
responsible  for  sending  him  to  the  field.  He  was 
born  in  Xenia,  Ohio,  and  educated  in  Ohio  Wesleyan 
and  Boston  University.  We  met  in  New  York  and 
sailed  April  25,  1874,  for  Vera  Cruz,  where  we 
arrived  May  8.     We  entered  at  once  on  our  work, 

50 


REENFORCEMENTS 

chiefly  the  study  of  the  language.  So  marked  was 
Brother  Drees's  advancement  that  inside  of  five 
months  he  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Spanish. 
After  thirteen  years  of  successful  service  in  Mexico, 
Dr.  Drees  was  transferred  to  South  America  and 
spent  there  twenty-one  years,  then  was  sent  to  open 
our  mission  in  Porto  Rico,  and  later  to  serve  as  one 
of  the  revisers  of  the  Bible  in  Spanish. 

In  1875  there  came  to  us  the  Rev.  Mathias  Goethe, 
pastor  of  a  Lutheran  church  in  Sacramento,  Cali- 
fornia. He  was  on  a  vacation  in  the  hope  of  im- 
proving his  health.  He  was  a  man  of  high  culture, 
truly  evangelical,  and  was  all  aglow  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls.  We  induced  him  to  remain,  and  the 
German  colony  subscribed  enough  for  his  support. 
At  times  he  preached  for  us  in  three  languages  on 
the  same  day.  Great  was  our  loss  when  he  died  in 
1876. 

In  January,  1876,  the  Rev.  S.  P.  Craver  and  his 
wife  arrived  among  us,  followed  soon  after  by  the 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  W.  Siberts.  These  brethren  had 
been  educated  in  Iowa  Wesleyan  and  Boston  Univer- 
sity School  of  Theology.  The  superintendent  now 
had  the  four  young  men  for  whom  he  had  so  earnestly 
pleaded.  About  this  time  he  wrote,  "Methodism  was 
never  more  needed  than  in  Mexico." 

No  mission  expects  to  proceed  far  with  foreign 
workers  alone,  for  in  the  evangelization  of  any  coun- 
try the  best  and  most  permanent  work  must  be  done 
by  the  native-born.     As  soon  as  our  work  began 

51 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

volunteers  came  forward,  not  all  of  whom  proved  the 
desired  material.  There  was  one  man  who  joined 
us  early  who,  though  humble  in  life  and  limited  in 
knowledge,  was  a  genuine  help  and  the  means  of 
not  a  few  conversions.  Doroteo  Mendoza  was  a 
policeman,  and  his  beat  included  our  mission  house. 
He  first  became  interested  by  seeing  the  open  Bible 
in  our  window ;  later  he  asked  the  privilege  of  coming 
inside  to  read  it.  When  not  on  duty  he  would  remain 
for  hours  reading  the  Bible  and  asking  questions. 
After  a  while  he  resigned  from  the  force  and  became 
a  local  preacher  and  for  years  did  good  work. 

In  1875  two  priests  joined  us.  Jose  Maria  Gon- 
zales, Doctor  of  Theology,  was  more  of  a  philoso- 
pher than  Christian.  For  awhile  he  did  excellent 
work  for  us  with  his  pen,  but  unfortunately  believed 
himself  to  have  discovered  the  secret  of  perpetual 
motion,  and  in  reality  his  family  was  often  left  with- 
out the  necessities  of  life  that  he  might  have  money 
to  spend  on  an  impractical  machine.  His  stay  with 
us  was  brief. 

Trinidad  Rodriguez,  another  ex-priest,  born  in 
Queretaro,  one  of  the  indigenous  people,  had  a  con- 
version of  the  heart  as  well  as  of  the  head.  This 
conversion  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he  attempted 
to  make  a  comparison  of  what  he  called  the  Protes- 
tant and  Catholic  Bibles.  He  was  surprised  at  the 
insignificant  differences  and  was  thus  led  to  study 
carefully  the  Sacred  Book,  and,  under  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  his  conversion  followed  and  he 

52 


REENFORCEMENTS 

became  an  earnest  gospel  preacher.  When  sick  unto 
death,  in  answer  to  the  question  as  to  how  he  felt, 
he  quickly  replied,  "I  have  much  peace  and  tran- 
quillity in  my  soul."  His  eldest  daughter  has  been 
a  faithful  teacher  in  our  mission  schools  for  more 
than  twenty  years. 

Pascual  Espinosa  came  to  us  from  the  Church  of 
Jesus,  and  still,  in  spite  of  the  weight  of  years,  re- 
mains in  active  work.  Felipe  N.  Cordoba,  who 
joined  us  in  1876,  was  an  ex-soldier,  and  became  an 
earnest  soldier  for  Christ.  When  the  life  of  William 
Carvosso  was  issued  from  our  press  he  was  greatly 
pleased  with  it  and  read  the  entire  work  with  avidity. 
When  he  was  pastor  in  Queretaro  he  became  the 
victim  of  an  outrageous  persecution,  and  being 
obliged  to  leave  the  country,  was  finally  transferred 
to  our  New  Mexico  mission. 

Julio  Trujillo  had  been  in  our  work  only  a  short 
time  when  we  loaned  him  to  the  Associate  Reformed 
Presbyterians,  who  were  to  open  a  mission  in  the 
State  of  Tamaulipas  with  Tampico  as  center.  He 
proved  to  be  a  good  worker  and  is  still  in  that  mis- 
sion as  an  honored  minister. 

When  Protestant  missions  were  in  their  infancy 
in  this  country  people  suspected  that  they  had  politi- 
cal ends  in  view.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  tried 
to  make  a  great  deal  out  of  this.  From  their  pulpits 
and  in  their  press  at  times  they  attacked  us  most 
violently  and  insisted  that  all  missionaries  were 
agents   of  the  United   States  government   working 

53 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

sub  rosa  for  annexation,  and  that  all  Mexicans  who 
joined  us  were  traitors  to  their  country.  Many 
who  used  this  argument  knew  better,  others  sincerely 
believed  it.  To  this  latter  class  belonged  Augustin 
Palacios.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  Mexico  in 
1826,  studied  law  in  the  Saint  Gregorio  College,  of 
Mexico  City,  but  at  the  age  of  twenty  left  college  to 
enter  the  army  and'  fight  against  the  American  in- 
vasion. He  was  twice  wounded,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  war  took  up  the  study  of  theology,  being  ordained 
in  1851.  He  was  for  some  time  ecclesiastical  judge 
in  the  Cathedral  and  later  assistant  chaplain  to  the 
Emperor  Maximilian.  Becoming  disillusioned  with 
what  he  saw  in  the  historic  church,  he  gathered  an 
independent  congregation  with  the  Bible  as  guide. 
When  our  mission  was  opened  he  was  employed  by 
the  government,  and  to  his  little  congregation 
preached  against  us,  for  at  the  time  he  really  be- 
lieved we  were  political  emissaries.  After  a  time  he 
began  to  attend  our  services,  but  always  at  night, 
and  invariably  entered  after  the  service  had  begun 
and  left  during  the  singing  of  the  last  hymn.  One 
day  he  came  and  surprised  me  by  saying  that  he 
had  been  carefully  noting  all  that  we  did,  and  the 
object  of  his  visit  was  to  confess  that  he  was  fully 
persuaded  that  he  had  been  mistaken  concerning  us, 
that  he  had  not  discovered  a  syllable  of  politics  in 
our  preaching  or  prayers  or  hymns,  and  that  it  was 
the  pure  gospel ;  so  he  was  ready  to  help  us  in  our 
attempt  to  bring  Mexico  to  Christ.     He  became  an 

54 


REENFORCEMENTS 

eloquent  and  successful  minister,  laboring  faithfully 
in  some  of  our  more  important  charges  until  he  died 
in  Christian  triumph  in  his  fifty-third  year. 

Emilio  Fuentes  y  Betancourt  was  another  ex- 
priest.  Born  in  Puerto  Principe,  he  had  been  edu- 
cated there  and  in  Chile  and  Europe,  taking  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy.  He  was  one  of  our 
most  eloquent  preachers  and  a  popular  writer,  but 
he  had  a  preference  for  teaching,  and  after  awhile 
became  head  of  a  government  normal  school,  though 
to  the  end  of  his  life  he  continued  to  write  for  our 
Abogado  Cristiano  and  to  lecture  in  our  schools. 

Herman  Liiders  was  a  German  who  came  here  as 
a  young  man.  We  discovered  him  in  Orizava  and 
learned  that  in  his  wanderings  he  had  lost  the  reli- 
gious life,  which  he  earnestly  desired  to  recover.  He 
soon  became  a  teacher  in  our  school  in  Puebla,  where 
he  literally  wore  himself  out  in  the  Master's  service. 
He  was  an  excellent  musician,  and  his  name  is  per- 
petuated by  both  verse  and  music  in  our  Hymnal. 

We  have  also  men  converted  at  our  altars,  called 
of  God  and  educated  in  our  own  schools.  Such  were 
Justo  M.  Euroza,  who  left  Mexico's  West  Point  to 
enter  our  work  and  to  become  the  first  Mexican 
presiding  elder;  Conrado  Gamboa,  a  model  pastor 
and  faithful  brother;  Pedro  Flores  'Valdcrrama, 
D.D.,  erstwhile  editor  and  the  first  Mexican  to  serve 
as  president  of  our  Puebla  Institute;  Simon  Loza, 
diligent  and  conscientious  in  all  things  and  most 
successful    in    his    pastorates ;    Abundio    Tovar,    a 

55 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

valiant  soldier  for  his  country  and  afterward  for 
Christ;  Jorge  Manning,  native  Mexican  with  Eng- 
lish ancestry,  was  born  to  teach ;  Plutarco  Bernal, 
who  moved  like  a  patriarch  among  us;  Enrique  W. 
Adams,  the  thoughtful  preacher;  Severo  I.  Lopez, 
successful  in  the  eldership  and  then  again  in  the 
pastorate;  B.  H.  Velasco,  D.D.,  the  eminent  peda- 
gogue ;  Miguel  Z.  Garza,  possessing  a  marvelous  flow 
of  language  to  express  his  thoughts ;  Victoriano  D. 
Baez,  member  of  the  committee  for  the  new  transla- 
tion of  the  Holy  Scriptures;  Eduardo  Zapata,  the 
sunny-hearted  and  our  first  foreign  missionary; 
Ignacio  D.  Chagoyan,  modest  but  truly  eloquent; 
A.  M.  Avila,  preacher  and  teacher  both ;  Miguel 
Rojas,  who  has  only  to  be  heard  to  be  appreciated; 
Vicente  Mendoza,  a  sort  of  Charles  Wesley  for 
Methodism  in  Mexico;  Epigmenio  Velasco,  faithful 
pastor  and  enthusiastic  organizer  of  choirs  for  our 
Conference  and  conventions ;  the  five  Osorio  brothers 
and  sisters,  all  converted  through  our  literature; 
Alfonso  Herrera,  the  traveler  who  brought  fresh 
illustrations  from  the  Holy  Land  with  which  to 
adorn  his  sermons ;  and  many  others  worthy  to  be 
classed  with  good  Methodist  preachers  the  world 
over.  When  our  Day  of  Pentecost  is  fully  come  the 
survivors  among  them  will  make  a  glorious  band  to 
lead  in  the  conquest  of  this  country  for  Jesus  Christ. 
It  is  a  matter  for  profound  gratitude  that  God 
has  already  from  the  ranks  of  our  Mexican  ministry 
raised  up  a  man  like   Scin,  competent  to   serve  as 

56 


REENFORCEMENTS 

Sunday  school  missionary  under  the  International 
Sunday  School  Association ;  a  man  like  Baez,  worthy 
to  serve  on  the  Joint  Commission  for  the  British  and 
American  Bible  Societies  in  their  task  of  translating 
the  New  Testament  into  correct  modern  Spanish ; 
and  a  Zapata,  worthy  of  being  sent  by  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions  as  Mexico's  first  foreign  mission- 
ary to  help  to  lay  the  foundations  of  our  church  in 
the  republic  of  Costa  Rica. 


57 


CHAPTER  V 
WOMAN'S  COOPERATION 

Fifty  years  ago  the  women  of  Methodism  were 
onh'  silent  partners  in  the  cause  of  world-wide  mis- 
sions. They  could  contribute  of  their  means  and 
pray  for  the  work.  To-day  two  missionary  societies, 
one  domestic  and  one  foreign,  count  upon  the  en- 
thusiastic cooperation  of  thousands  of  devoted 
women  who  are  toiling  in  great  wisdom,  praying 
incessantly  and  sacrificing  of  their  earthly  posses- 
sions to  bring  this  world  to  God.  The  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  alone  contributes  an- 
nually for  this  purpose  more  than  the  church  fifty 
years  ago  gave  for  both  home  and  foreign  work. 

After  the  collapse  of  the  Sepoy  Rebellion  in  India, 
in  1857,  William  Butler,  then  superintendent  of  our 
mission  in  Hindustan,  visited  Delhi,  the  ancient  capi- 
tal, and  witnessed  the  trial  of  the  last  of  the  Mogul 
emperors  in  the  Dewan-I-Khass,  that  most  gorgeous 
audience  hall  of  the  Orient.  While  watching  the 
trial  of  the  man  who  in  that  very  place  had  insti- 
gated the  conspiracy  against  Christianity  in  India, 
the  missionary  received  such  a  vision  of  the  conse- 
quences of  the  idolatry  and  paganism  of  the  land, 
and  of  the  responsibility  of  his  church  to  the  millions 

58 


WOMAN'S  COOPERATION 

of  its  people,  that  he  was  inspired  with  the  thought 
that  more  could  be  done  by  enlisting  the  women  of 
Methodism  in  the  task.  In  From  Boston  to  Bareilly 
he  tells  the  story,  and  reproduces  a  letter  which  he 
wrote  at  the  time  pleading  for  their  participation 
in  the  work  of  his  mission.  After  the  organization 
of  the  India  Mission  into  an  Annual  Conference  Dr. 
Butler  returned  to  the  United  States  and  was  pastor 
of  a  church  in  Boston  when  Dr.  and  Mrs.  E.  W. 
Parker,  his  former  associates  in  India,  came  home, 
in  1868,  for  their  furlough.  During  their  visit  in 
our  home  the  constant  topic  of  conversation  was  the 
need  of  poor  India.  The  deplorable  condition  of 
womanhood  in  that  land  was  discussed  and  the  possi- 
bility of  interesting  the  women  of  our  church  in 
some  definite  organization  for  their  help.  Later  a 
call  was  issued  for  the  women  of  Boston  churches 
to  meet  and  consider  the  question.  Tremont  Street 
Church,  the  stormy  day,  March  23,  1869,  and  the 
eight  women  who  ventured  out  and  launched  the  new 
Society  are  familiar  details. 

The  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was 
only  four  years  old  when  the  Mexico  mission  was 
projected.  The  superintendent  sought  its  coopera- 
tion, since  no  one  could  know  better  than  he  the 
value  of  its  aid.  From  the  field  he  wrote  earnest 
letters,  and  within  a  year  two  representatives  reached 
Mexico  City.  The  first  appointed  was  Miss  Mary 
Hastings,  a  sister  of  the  well-known  publisher  of 
Boston.      Several   years'   experience   as   a   teacher, 

59 


MKTHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

some  knowledge  of  Spanish,  and  a  deep  religious  life 
gave  her  special  fitness  for  the  task.  The  second 
was  Miss  Susan  M.  Warner,  of  Wisconsin,  a  well- 
equipped  teacher,  who  immediately  after  the  Civil 
War  went  to  New  Orleans  to  work  among  the  freed- 
men.  The  missionaries  sailed  from  New  Orleans  for 
Vera  Cruz,  arriving  in  February,  1874. 

Miss  Hastings  gave  twenty-five  years  to  the  work, 
most  of  which  time  was  spent  in  Pachuca,  where  she 
built  up  a  school  of  five  hundred  children  and  so  im- 
pressed herself  upon  many  of  her  graduates  that 
to-day  her  memory  is  precious  to  scores  of  our  Mexi- 
can workers.  She  was  the  first  missionary  of  our 
church  buried  in  this  land.  Miss  Warner's  greatest 
work  was  in  Puebla,  where,  in  the  face  of  great  diffi- 
culties, she  achieved  marked  success  in  laying  the 
foundations  of  a  school,  the  influence  of  which  is 
widely  felt  in  several  states  of  the  republic.  After 
sixteen  years  of  service  Miss  Warner  returned  to 
the  United  States,  where  she  became  Mrs.  Daniel 
Densmore. 

In  1878  Miss  Mary  F.  Swaney  and  Miss  Clara  L. 
Mulliner  arrived.  The  former,  having  resided  for 
some  time  in  South  America,  had  a  knowledge  of 
Spanish,  which  made  her  immediately  effective  in 
the  work.  In  1884  three  more  came  to  our  aid, 
namely,  Miss  Mary  DeF.  Lloyd,  Miss  Eleanor  Le 
Huray,  and  Miss  Laura  M.  Latimer.  Miss  Lloyd 
gave  eighteen  years  of  most  diligent  service.  Broken 
in  health,  she  went  home  and  died  within  a  few  days. 

60 


WOMAN'S  COOPERATION 

In  1886  Miss  Lizzie  Hcwctt,  Miss  Anna  L.  Rodgers, 
and  Miss  Harriet  L.  Ayres  arrived.  Miss  Ayres 
taught  for  nineteen  years  and  is  now  city  mission- 
ary, in  which  work  she  has  found  great  success.  In 
1890  four  came  to  replace  some  called  home  by  ill 
health  or  other  demands.  The  Misses  Limberger, 
Van  Dorsten,  Dunmore,  and  Nciger  were  all  valuable 
acquisitions  to  the  mission.  Miss  Limberger's  great 
work  in  Puebla  is  her  enduring  monument.  Miss 
Carrie  M.  Purdy  came  first  to  Guanajuato  in  1898 
and  then  joined  her  friend  and  former  schoolmate, 
Miss  Limberger,  in  Puebla,  where  together  they 
built  magnificently  on  the  foundations  laid.  Miss 
Martha  L.  McKibben  came  in  1900,  but  was  called 
from  us  by  death  in  less  than  eight  months.  The  same 
year  Miss  L.  E.  Bumgardner  came  for  the  work  in 
Orizava,  and  others  as  follows :  Miss  Ida  Bohannon, 
1901 ;  Miss  Laura  Temple  and  Miss  Helen  Hewitt 
in  1903;  Miss  Ellen  Paine,  1905;  the  Misses  Cook, 
Miss  Grace  E.  Hollister,  1906 ;  Miss  Blanche  Betz, 
1907;  Miss  Edith  Salmans,  1910;  Misses  Dora  A. 
Gladen,  Lois  J.  Hartung,  Kathryn  B.  Kyser,  1911 ; 
Miss  Vernise  Gelvin  and  Katharine  M.  Johnson, 
1912;  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Benthiem,  1914.  The 
valuable  work  of  these  devoted  women,  and  of  some 
others  unnamed  here  who  were  permitted  to  give  but 
a  short  term,  challenges  the  admiration  of  the  church. 
In  addition  to  these,  worthy  Mexican  teachers,  Bible 
women,  deaconesses,  and  nurses  have  loyally  served 
the  cause  in  various  departments.     The  unselfish  co- 

61 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

operation  of  these  and  of  a  goodly  number  of  con- 
tract teachers  sent  from  the  States,  as  well  as  many 
daughters  of  the  land,  have  made  possible  the  success 
achieved  in  these  forty-five  years. 


62 


CHAPTER  VI 

MISSION    EXTENSION,    PACHUCA  AND 
VICINITY 

Pachuca,  capital  of  the  state  of  Hidalgo,  is  about 
sixty  miles  northeast  of  Mexico  City.  It  was  the 
first  town  of  importance  to  which  our  work  was  ex- 
tended. The  mountains  which  rise  so  ruggedly  on 
three  sides  of  the  city  suggest  impregnable  military 
fortifications.  These  mountains  are  full  of  rich  veins 
of  silver,  a  fact  discovered  by  Cortes  four  hundred 
years  ago.  Silver  is  Mexico's  chief  mineral  product, 
and  she  has  furnished  one  third  of  all  that  precious 
metal  now  in  the  markets  of  the  world.  The  churches 
in  this  land  are  rich  with  magnificent  silver  altars 
and  railings,  yet  this  lavish  display  is  rebuked  by  the 
general  poverty  and  ignorance  of  the  masses. 

Bishop  Haven  was  the  first  Methodist  minister  to 
walk  the  streets  of  the  quaint  city,  though  not  the 
first  Methodist.  Wesleyans  from  Cornwall  had  pre- 
ceded him,  and  he  found  a  class  meeting  which  had 
been  held  in  the  home  of  Mr.  Richard  Rule,  a  mining 
engineer.  The  venerable  leader  was  at  prayer  when 
Bishop  Haven  entered.  He  writes:  "It  seemed 
strange  to  hear  the  voice  of  prayer  in  a  Sunday 
morning  class  in  this  far-off  land.  A  full  and  devout 
petition  it  was,  Scriptural  in  form  and  rich  in  faith, 

63 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

in  humility  and  in  assurance."  Several  Mexican 
workers  came  to  be  regular  attendants  in  this  class. 
This  was  not  the  first  English  service  in  Pachuca, 
for  in  the  early  fifties  the  Rev.  Henry  Davis,  a  Wes- 
leyan  minister,  came  and  conducted  service  in  Eng- 
lish in  the  drawing  room  of  Mr.  Charles  Rule.  The 
Mexican  authorities  objected,  for  as  yet  the  Consti- 
tution of  1857  had  not  been  adopted,  granting 
liberty  of  worship;  but  when  they  learned  that  Mr. 
Davis  was  only  a  visitor,  they  withdrew  their  ob- 
jections. 

There  existed  in  1873  a  little  congregation  under 
the  leadership  of  Dr.  Marcellino  Guerrero,  who  used 
a  modified  form  of  service  published  by  the  Church 
of  Jesus  in  Mexico  City.  His  little  flock  was  called 
"The  Reformed  Church  in  Pachuca."  At  that  time 
the  Doctor  was  more  of  a  Protestant  than  a  Chris- 
tian. 

Dr.  Butler  found  a  few  local  preachers  among  the 
Cornish  people  and  a  hall  was  hired  in  the  public 
square  for  weekly  services.  A  Sunday  school  was 
started,  the  local  preachers  took  turns  in  conducting 
services,  and  a  missionary  from  Mexico  City  visited 
and  preached  every  third  Sunday.  These  warm- 
hearted Cornishmen  afforded  much  help  for  the  work 
and  contributed  generously  toward  the  chapel  built 
in  1876  and  for  the  fine  church  of  two  stories  erected 
twenty  years  later. 

The  superintendent  of  the  new  mission  was  heartily 
welcomed  by  the  little  band  of  Mexican  Protestants 

64 


MISSION  EXTENSION 

who  were  living  up  to  the  light  they  had.  They  were 
Protestants  certainly,  although  they  knew  little  of 
vital  piety;  but,  like  their  honest  leader,  they  were 
ready  to  be  led  into  all  truth.  Dr.  Guerrero  held 
his  public  services  regularly  every  Sunday  morning, 
and  in  the  afternoons  as  regularly  presided  over 
public  billiard  tables,  the  income  from  which  he  re- 
garded as  a  necessar}^  offset  to  losses  in  his  medical 
practice  caused  by  fanatical  persecution.  Dr.  Butler 
was  soon  able  to  help  him  to  see  the  inconsistency  of 
this,  and  he  came  into  the  enjoyment  of  a  better 
religious  life,  gave  up  Sabbath  desecration  and  de- 
voted more  time  to  preaching  the  gospel.  Hence- 
forth there  was  more  of  Christ  and  less  of  contro- 
versy in  his  sermons.  In  1875  he  relinquished  the 
pastorate  to  one  of  the  younger  men  and  moved  to 
the  City  of  Mexico,  where  he  continued  a  devoted 
member  of  our  church  up  to  his  death  in  1888.  At 
that  time  Dr.  Butler,  who  had  retired  from  the  work 
in  1879,  was  on  a  visit  to  the  scene  of  his  former 
labors.  I  told  him  that  I  was  about  to  take  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  to  his  old  friend, 
Dr.  Guerrero,  and  together  we  went  across  the  city. 
The  meeting,  after  nine  years,  of  the  two  old  friends, 
each  of  whom  had  reached  his  allotted  three  score 
years  and  ten,  was  very  touching.  When  the  final 
prayer  was  concluded  Dr.  Guerrero  was  in  a  state 
of  ecstasy.  He  requested  his  daughter  to  play  some 
triumphal  music  on  the  piano,  and  said:  "I  seem  to 
be  in  the  anteroom  of  some  great  banqueting  hall. 

65 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

I  am  about  to  pass  in.  Play  louder,  daughter,  play 
louder."  Thus,  in  great  triumph,  passed  on  to  the 
better  life  this  first  Methodist  preacher  of  Pachuca. 
It  is  still  true  that  our  people  die  well. 

From  the  first  Brother  Drees  was  designated  to 
work  in  Puebla  and  I  in  Pachuca.  In  February, 
1875,  I  was  there,  but  in  less  than  a  week  received 
a  dispatch  informing  me  that  as  Dr.  Cooper's  health 
had  failed  I  was  appointed  in  charge  of  the  work  in 
Mexico  City,  and  here,  in  one  capacity  or  another, 
I  have  remained  these  forty-three  years. 

Mr.  Christopher  Ludlow,  a  mining  engineer  from 
Cornwall,  came  to  Pachuca  to  install  one  of  the 
largest  pumping  machines  ever  brought  to  this  coun- 
try. Before  his  contract  was  finished,  Dr.  Butler 
discovered  that  he  was  not  only  a  practical  builder 
but  also  an  excellent  preacher,  and  so  induced  him 
to  join  our  missionary  force.  Mr.  Frank  Rule  had 
procured  for  us  a  well-located  plot  of  ground  in  the 
heart  of  the  town,  and  to  the  construction  of  a  little 
chapel  and  homes  for  both  missionary  societies  Mr. 
Ludlow  set  himself  industriously.  When  completed 
the  chapel  would  seat  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
people,  and  served  both  the  English  and  Mexican 
congregations.  It  was  dedicated  April  2,  1876,  dur- 
ing the  Tuxtepec  revolution.  In  the  afternoon  Mr. 
Ludlow,  Mr.  Siberts,  and  myself  were  conducting 
the  English  service  when  the  city  was  attacked.  Mr. 
Ludlow,  who  had  a  fervent  spirit  and  a  strong  voice, 
was  leading  in  prayer,  when  a  volley  of  bullets  began 

66 


Ovh  Church  in  Pachuca 


MISSION  EXTENSION 

to  fall  around  the  place.  When  he  finished  the 
petition  and  opened  his  eyes  there  was  just  one  mem- 
ber of  the  congregation  left  before  him,  a  deaf  old 
lady,  and  the  two  preachers  in  the  pulpit !  He  said 
that  he  had  noticed  footsteps,  but  thought  it  meant 
more  worshipers  coming  in.  All  our  people  reached 
their  homes  in  safety.  Later  Mr.  Ludlow  made  some 
fortunate  investments  which  permitted  him  to  make 
generous  donations  to  our  work. 

The  Rev.  J.  M.  Barker  entered  upon  the  pastorate 
here  in  1878.  To  him  is  largely  due  the  extension 
of  the  work  to  El  Chico,  Tezontepec,  and  Tulan- 
cingo.  Encouraged  by  a  donation  of  five  hundred 
dollars  from  Mr.  Ludlow,  he  built  the  chapel  at  Real 
del  Monte  and,  backed  by  like  generosity  from  Dr. 
William  B.  Rule,  he  built  the  chapel  at  El  Chico. 
On  account  of  the  health  of  his  family  Brother 
Barker  was  obliged  to  return  home  in  1884,  and  is 
now  in  the  faculty  of  Boston  University.  He  was 
followed  in  Pachuca  by  the  Rev.  Lucius  C.  Smith, 
who  came  to  us  from  South  America,  and  since  then 
by  the  following:  the  Rev.  L.  B.  Salmans,  William 
Green,  J.  T.  Tubbs,  H.  F.  Limric,  I.  C.  Cartwright, 
W.  C.  Evans,  George  E.  Allen,  B.  S.  Haywood, 
Samuel  Quickmire,  E.  W.  Gould,  F.  M.  Bailey,  and 
H.  E.  Morrow. 

Among  the  Mexican  pastors  who  have  labored  in 
Pachuca  are  the  following:  Francisco  Aguilar,  the 
converted  cobbler;  F.  N.  Cordova,  the  converted 
soldier ;  and  Doroteo  Mendoza,  the  converted  police- 

67 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

man.  Later  came  Conrado  Gamboa,  J.  M.  Euroza, 
and  P.  F.  Valderrama.  These  three  were  the  first 
graduates  of  our  theological  school  in  Puebla.  All 
of  them  chose  wives  from  the  congregation  at 
Omitlan,  eight  miles  from  Pachuca.  After  the  third 
had  made  his  choice  the  little  congregation  sent  a 
petition  to  please  have  no  more  unmarried  preachers 
on  that  circuit,  to  avoid  the  depletion  of  their  little 
flock! 

In  later  years  the  following  have  served  in  Pa- 
chuca: Sixto  Bernal,  the  Hernandez  brothers,  Pas- 
cual  Espinoza,  S.  I.  Lopez,  Emilio  Castillo,  Ed- 
mundo  Monroy,  Manuel  Andujar,  E.  W.  Adam, 
Vincente  Mendoza,  Eduardo  Zapata,  Ignacio  Cha- 
goyan,  and  others  as  assistants.  Later  Brother 
Baez  worked  enthusiastically  for  the  new  church 
building. 

In  1892  Dr.  Sanford  Hunt,  treasurer  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Society,  visited  the  mission.  When  in 
Pachuca  we  took  him  up  the  mountainside  to  get  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 
Standing  there,  he  asked,  "How  many  inhabitants 
has  Pachuca?" 

"About  forty-five  thousand,"  was  the  reply. 

The  Doctor,  with  a  most  surprised  expression  on 
his  countenance,  exclaimed,  "What !  a  city  of  forty- 
five  thousand  people  and  not  a  single  Protestant 
church  edifice!" 

The  next  event  to  be  recorded  of  Pachuca  Meth- 
odism was  the  building  of  the  church.     It  replaced 

68 


MISSION  EXTENSION 

the  little  adobe  chapel  and  is  a  two-story  building 
with  an  auditorium  on  the  first  floor  for  the  Mexi- 
can congregation,  with  a  seating  capacity  for  five 
hundred,  and  an  auditorium  on  the  second  floor 
which  will  accommodate  fifty  more.  The  Hon.  Aldcn 
Speare,  of  Boston,  for  many  years  a  member  of  the 
Missionary  Board,  was  invited  to  lay  the  corner 
stone.  Bishop  McCabe  helped  us  to  raise  the  first 
twelve  thousand  dollars,  a  large  portion  of  which 
was  contributed  by  our  Cornish  friends.  The  Mexi- 
can brethren  also  did  marvelously  well.  Bishop 
Hamilton  dedicated  the  finished  building,  which  is 
one  of  the  finest  Protestant  churches  in  the  country, 
and  an  honor  to  Methodism  and  an  ornament  to 
the  city.  The  entire  cost  was  nearly  $50,000  Mexi- 
can silver,  and  there  is  no  debt  on  the  property. 
This  city  is  the  headquarters  of  Methodism  for  all 
the  state  of  Hidalgo.  In  our  Conference  it  is  known 
as  the  Eastern  District.  The  work  has  spread  to 
several  small  towns  near  Pachuca.  Two  circuits 
with  a  dozen  preaching  places  have  been  formed  on 
the  Tezontepec  plains.  Another  one  is  in  the  Tulan- 
cingo  Valley,  while  sixty  miles  east  of  Pachuca  is 
Zacualtipan,  head  of  a  circuit  which  reaches  down 
the  mountain  slope  toward  the  coast,  where  already 
our  preachers  visit  and  tell  the  old,  old  story,  in 
some  thirty  towns  or  villages.  Some  day  Bishop 
Haven's  prophecy  will  be  reality,  and  there  will  be 
an  Annual  Conference  in  this  state. 

In  1893  the  work  of  both  societies  had  grown  so 

69 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

that  the  property  could  not  accommodate  the  vari- 
ous interests,  so  it  was  agreed  that  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions  should  sell  to  the  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  all  its  interests  in  the  joint 
property  except  the  corner  on  which  stood  the  adobe 
chapel,  which  should  be  retained  for  the  new  church. 
A  double  house  on  the  next  street  was  purchased 
which  has  since  been  the  home  of  the  missionary  and 
of  the  Mexican  pastor  and  the  school  for  boys. 

Miss  Hastings  immediately  planned  to  enlarge  the 
school  building  to  accommodate  larger  numbers. 
These  came  rapidly  until  the  school  enrolled  over  six 
hundred  girls,  the  school  of  largest  attendance  sup- 
ported by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
in  all  the  world.  In  1917  it  had  nearly  one  thousand 
names  on  the  roll. 


70 


CHAPTER  VII 
ORIZAVA:  "JOY  ON  THE  WATERS" 

Under  the  shadow  of  the  snow-capped  peak  of 
Orizava,  on  its  eastern  slope,  at  an  elevation  of 
about  four  thousand  feet,  nestles  the  city  of  the 
same  name,  a  place  with  forty  thousand  inhabitants, 
rich  in  its  harvest  of  tropical  fruits,  coffee,  and  the 
produce  of  its  factories.  The  meaning  of  the  Indian 
name  is  "Joy  on  the  Waters,"  and  whether  one  comes 
up  across  the  sandy  deserts  which  lie  between  the 
city  and  the  coast,  or  down  from  the  arid  plains  of 
the  table-land,  that  which  first  and  favorably  at- 
tracts attention  on  reaching  Orizava  is  the  abun- 
dance of  water  rushing  down  from  the  perpetual 
snows  of  the  mountains  to  turn  the  wheels  of  indus- 
try and  to  make  the  valley  blossom  with  luxuriant 
tropical  growth. 

Our  first  services  in  this  beautiful  city  were  held 
on  May  17,  1873,  under  the  care  of  Dr.  W.  H. 
Cooper.  Nine  persons  attended  and  later  in  the 
day  an  English  service  was  held  with  ten  persons 
present,  one  of  whom  declared  that  he  had  not  been 
inside  of  a  church  for  twenty  years.  Upon  the  con- 
clusion of  the  service  in  Spanish  a  group  of  curious 
people  was  seen  around  the  door.  They  asked  for 
tracts,  but  when  these  were  given,  one  man  looked 

71 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

at  his  and  then  tore  it  to  bits  and  threw  it  back 
through  the  window.  A  moment  later  a  stone  was 
hurled  through  the  window,  but  fortunately  no  one 
was  hit.  B y  the  next  Sunday  a  large  room  had  been 
rented  in  the  building  formerly  occupied  by  the 
monastery  of  Saint  Joseph.  It  was  far  from  attrac- 
tive, but  was  the  only  place  available.  At  the  end 
of  one  month  forty  persons  were  on  our  list  of 
friends.  The  publicity  given  the  new  services  pro- 
voked opposition  and  some  persecution.  The  car- 
penters in  the  shop  where  our  benches  were  being 
made  went  out  on  a  strike  rather  than  to  work  for 
"heretics."  Dr.  Cooper  was  pelted  with  stones  and 
the  door  of  his  house  besmeared  with  filth.  He  ap- 
pealed to  the  police  for  protection  for  his  home,  but 
the  man  sent  for  the  purpose  was  intoxicated.  It 
was  stated  that  the  nearest  barroom  was  the  prop- 
erty of  the  priest,  who  had  furnished  free  refresh- 
ments to  the  guardians  of  the  peace  on  that  beat. 
We  did  not  despair,  and  now  have  the  joy  of  seeing 
the  fanaticism  of  those  days  give  way,  and  the  work 
not  only  permanently  established  in  the  city  but 
spreading  out  into  other  towns  of  the  state. 

The  Rev.  Richard  Stephens  administered  the  work 
for  three  years  in  Orizava,  and  the  Rev.  G.  S.  Um- 
pleby  for  five.  In  1880  a  desirable  location  in  the 
healthiest  part  of  the  city  was  secured  for  a  chapel 
and  parsonage.  Mrs.  Bishop  H.  W.  Warren  gave 
the  cabinet  organ  for  this  little  church,  one  of  many 
which  this  elect  lady  has  sent  to  our  missions. 

72 


ORIZAVA 

Some  very  touching  instances  of  the  Christian 
faith  of  our  people  are  recorded  by  Mr.  Umpleby. 
One  poor  Mexican  woman  was  able  to  say  in  her 
dying  hour:  "I  have  received  Christ  and  he  saves 
me.  I  shall  soon  be  with  him."  In  Cordova  one  of 
the  church  stewards  was  at  death's  door.  His  Ro- 
man Catholic  mother-in-law  asked  if  she  should  send 
for  a  priest.  He  placed  his  hand  on  the  Bible  and 
said,  "I  have  the  assurance  that  faith  in  Christ  is 
sufficient."  The  Rev.  Simon  Loza,  who  was  in  charge 
after  Brother  Umpleby  returned  to  the  United 
States,  told  us  of  a  magistrate  in  his  town  who 
walked  thirty-six  miles  to  converse  with  him  regard- 
ing the  gospel  of  which  he  had  heard.  The  result 
was  his  conversion,  his  return  to  the  home  with  an 
exhorter's  license,  and  the  establishment  of  a  little 
church.  The  Rev.  A.  W.  Greenman,  as  presiding 
elder,  gave  three  years  of  careful  attention  to  this 
district.  In  1888  Augustin  Palacios  came  to  the 
pastorate.  About  this  time  Spiritualism  made  its 
appearance  in  Orizava.  Brother  Palacios  can- 
nonaded it  so  vigorously  from  the  pulpit  and 
through  the  press  that  the  leader  came  in  person  to 
beg  him  to  cease.  There  is  an  Indian  village,  Atza- 
can,  about  seven  miles  from  Orizava,  where  the  older 
people  speak  only  one  of  the  Indian  languages, 
though  their  children  use  Spanish  also.  In  one  of 
his  early  letters  Dr.  William  Butler  wrote,  "The 
children  of  these  Aztecs  are  to  be  gloriously  re- 
deemed, and  we  are  to  do  the  work."    Brother  Pala- 

73 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

cios  seemed  to  share  in  this  thought,  as  we  saw  by 
his  interest  in  the  people  of  Atzacan.  One  of  his 
sermons  was  heard  by  a  leader  of  the  village,  who 
had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  drink  habit  till  half  his 
time  and  more  than  half  of  his  means  were  wasted. 
That  day  as  he  stood  outside  the  little  thatched  hut 
and  listened  for  the  first  time  to  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  the  Holy  Spirit  carried  conviction  to  his 
heart.  He  came  to  the  pastor  and  said  that  he 
wished  to  be  a  Christian.  He  was  told  that  to  be  a 
Christian  he  must  give  up  his  drinking  and  properly 
care  for  his  family.  He  replied,  "I  will  do  it,  by 
the  help  of  God."  He  became  a  new  creature,  and 
wife  and  children  were  properly  cared  for,  the 
mortgage  lifted  from  his  coffee  ranch,  and  the  chil- 
dren were  sent  to  school ;  later  one  daughter  mar- 
ried a  preacher,  and  the  other  graduated  from  our 
Puebla  Institute  and  is  to-day  a  faithful  teacher  in 
our  mission.  Within  ten  years  he  moved  his  family 
from  the  thatched  hut  into  a  fine  stone  house.  When 
Bishop  McCabe  visited  us,  and  came  to  Atzacan,  this 
good  fellow  regaled  us  and  about  twenty  .friends 
with  a  bountiful  repast  in  this  new  home.  I  never 
saw  the  Bishop  happier  than  when  he  came  face  to 
face  with  this  trophy  of  the  cross,  whose  conversion 
meant  so  much  in  that  community. 

Our  Aztec  brother's  first  ambition  was  for  the 
building  of  the  temple  of  God.  In  1892  Bishop 
Fowler  and  Dr.  Charles  Parkhurst  visited  Atzacan. 
After  the  service  in  the  bamboo  hut  this  representa- 

74 


Rev.  Augustin  Palacios 


ORTZAVA 

tivc  of  a  noble  race  pleaded  with  the  distinguished 
visitors  for  aid  to  build  a  church.  He  offered  to 
donate  all  the  land  needed  for  church,  school,  and 
parsonage,  and  pledged  himself  and  the  members  of 
the  little  flock  to  contribute  of  their  means  and  labor. 
The  Bishop  turned  to  the  editor  of  Zion's  Herald 
and  said,  "Parkhurst,  here's  your  chance!"  The 
generous-hearted  editor  replied,  "I  accept."  His 
eloquent  appeal  in  the  paper  brought  quick  response 
and  we  soon  received  $527.  This,  with  the  money, 
materials,  and  labor  contributed  by  the  congregation 
and  their  friends,  made  it  possible  for  Bishop  Joyce 
to  dedicate  an  attractive  church  in  1895. 

Other  towns  called  us.  Huatusco  is  situated  in 
the  mountains  some  sixty  miles  from  Orizava  in  the 
heart  of  a  rich  coffee  district,  accessible  only  by 
narrow  paths.  The  people  have  brought  modern 
machinery  for  their  ranches,  sewing  machines,  bi- 
cycles, pianos,  and  other  luxuries  over  those  trails 
on  the  backs  of  mules.  They  get  good  prices  for 
their  crops  and  want  the  best  that  civilization  offers. 
Why  should  they  not  ask  for  the  gospel?  We  have 
planted  a  school  and  church  in  their  midst. 

Tuxtepec,  though  in  the  state  of  Oaxaca,  is  easily 
accessible  from  Orizava.  This  was  the  cradle  of  the 
revolution  in  1876  which  raised  Porfirio  Diaz  to  the 
presidency.  Here  we  have  a  good-sized  congrega- 
tion and  two  schools.  Among  our  early  converts 
was  an  Italian  sculptor  who  sincerely  lamented  hav- 
ing made  so  many  idols   for  the  Roman   Catholic 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

churches  before  his  conversion.  Our  work  is  estab- 
lished also  in  Tierra  Blanca,  Acula,  and  other  towns 
along  the  line  of  railway  to  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuan- 
tepee.  Providential  openings  may  be  followed  all 
the  way  down  to  the  isthmus  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Our  work  in  the  port  of  Vera  Cruz  is  compara- 
tively new,  though  we  really  made  a  start  in  1873, 
before  any  other  Protestant  missions.  At  one  time 
we  withdrew  out  of  regard  for  the  wishes  of  our 
Presbyterian  brethren.  Of  late,  however,  in  view 
of  the  need  of  having  connection  through  the  port, 
and  the  fact  that  the  number  of  inhabitants  has  long 
since  passed  the  thirty-thousand  mark,  we  have  re- 
entered the  city  and  have  both  a  school  and  a  church. 

Aubundio  Tovar  was  made  a  presiding  elder  in 
1897  and  traveled  extensively  through  the  Vera  Cruz 
District.  As  an  old  soldier  he  was  accustomed  to 
hardships,  so  shrank  from  no  undertaking  that  he 
believed  to  be  for  the  good  of  the  cause.  Yellow 
fever  was  prevalent  in  this  territory,  and  soon  after 
he  had  written  in  his  annual  report  that  "all  the 
workers  without  fear  of  the  disease  have  remained 
faithful  at  their  posts,  preaching  Christ  and  train- 
ing the  children  confided  to  their  care,"  he  fell  a 
victim  to  the  terrible  disease.  He  was  a  true  soldier 
of  the  cross. 

When  Jose  Rumbia  was  in  charge  of  the  work  in 
1900-06  he  established  a  night  school  in  the  country 
jail  which  he  conducted  with  an  average  of  sixty 
pupils,  many  of  whom  were  led  to  better  lives  before 

76 


ORTZAVA 

going  out  again  into  the  world.  The  Rev.  F.  P. 
Lawyer  was  presiding  elder  from  1907  to  1911,  and 
also  pastor  of  the  English  church.  Carlos  Sanchez, 
Plutarco  Bernal,  Crescencio  Osirio,  Miguel  Rosales, 
Vicente  Osorio,  and  Jorge  Corona  all  worked  faith- 
fully for  the  upbuilding  of  the  Kingdom  on  this  dis- 
trict. In  1912-14  the  Rev.  F.  F.  Wolfe  was  in 
charge,  assisted  by  Miguel  Rojas,  Gorgonio  Cora, 
Madaleno  Constantino,  and  David  Verduzco. 

Our  most  imperative  need  is  a  well-equipped  school 
for  boys  and  one  for  girls  each  with  a  boarding  de- 
partment located  in  Orizava.  Here  we  must  train 
the  workers  for  our  future,  as  we  cannot  expect 
any  considerable  number  of  youths  from  the  hot 
climates  of  the  low  lands  to  enter  our  schools  in  the 
temperate  climate  of  the  table-lands. 

Whether  we  teach  or  preach,  whether  we  employ 
English,  Spanish,  or  Aztec,  the  object  is  the  same, 
namely,  that  the  millions  of  this  state  may  rejoice, 
not  only  over  their  abundant  streams  of  material 
waters,  but  that  all  may  come  to  know  the  joy  that 
comes  from  drawing  from  the  wells  of  living  waters. 


77 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MIRAFLORES :  "BEHOLD  THE  FLOWERS" 

When  we  first  began  to  visit  the  village  of  Mira- 
flores,  about  thirty  miles  east  of  Mexico  City,  we 
found  it  indeed  beautiful  for  situation  on  the  foot- 
hills of  the  glorious  mountain  Iztacihuatl,  with  its 
eternal  covering  of  snow.  It  was  in  the  day  of  the 
stagecoach  or  saddle  horse,  and  a  slow  journey 
across  the  dusty  plains  always  found  a  delightful 
ending  in  this  charming  spot- 
About  three  quarters  of  a  century  ago  Senor 
Felipe  Neri  Barrio  visited  the  spinning  mills  in 
Paterson,  New  Jersey,  with  the  object  of  purchasing 
machinery  for  a  mill  in  this  Indian  village,  the  land 
for  which  had  originally  been  ceded  to  the  Marquis 
of  Miraflores  by  the  Spanish  crown.  In  Paterson 
Senor  Barrio  found  a  young  Scotchman,  J.  H. 
Robertson,  and  was  fortunate  in  inducing  him  to 
accompany  him  under  a  three-year  contract  in  order 
to  build  and  manage  this,  the  second  spinning  mill 
ever  erected  in  Mexico.  For  the  power  the  melting 
snows  of  Iztacihuatl  furnished  an  unceasing  stream. 
Mr.  Robertson  remained  in'  the  country  and  later 
became  the  proprietor  of  the  mill,  which  he  con- 
verted into  a  factory  for  cotton  goods.  It  is  now 
a  fine  modern  plant,  and  the  output  has  always  stood 

78 


MIRAFLORES 

A-l  in  the  markets  of  Mexico.  Around  it  a  clean, 
prosperous  village  developed,  while  the  kind- 
hearted  Scotchman  took  a  real  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  factory  people.  They  were  taught 
practical  cleanliness:  for  example,  no  one  could 
enter  the  factory  on  Monday  morning  unless  wear- 
ing clean  clothes.  A  small  percentage  of  their  weekly 
wage  was  left  with  the  manager  to  create  a  fund 
which  entitled  all  to  the  services  of  doctor,  school, 
and  the  services  of  the  priest.  If  the  fund  ran  low, 
it  was  replenished  by  the  company  in  generous 
fashion. 

When  we  visited  the  place  for  the  first  time,  in 
1875,  we  were  given  a  cordial  reception  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Robertson.  A  little  Mexican  Evangelical  con- 
gregation was  meeting  in  the  house  of  one  Avila,  a 
worker  in  the  factory  who,  though  a  man  of  limited 
education,  was  respected  by  all.  He  had  been  led 
to  renounce  Romanism  by  the  reading  of  tracts  and 
books.  The  place  of  worship  was  small  and  incon- 
venient, and  we  were  interrupted  not  a  little  by  the 
domestic  animals.  Shortly  afterward  Mr.  John 
Robertson  provided  a  comfortable  hall  which  had 
served  as  a  granary,  but  which  he  kindly  fitted  up 
as  a  chapel.  Our  first  service  here  on  February  14, 
1875,  was  attended  by  sixty  people  in  the  morning, 
and  at  night  by  one  hundred  and  fifteen.  This  hall 
served  us  for  a  couple  of  years.  In  the  meantime 
our  dear  friend  Mrs.  J.  H.  Robertson  passed  away. 
Shortly  before  her  death  she  requested  her  husband 

79 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

to  assist  the  mission  in  securing  a  permanent  place 
of  worship.  Accordingly,  he  purchased  and  donated 
a  large,  desirable  plot  of  ground  in  his  wife's  name 
and  supplemented  the  gift  with  $500.  All  the  mem- 
bers of  the  family  contributed  generously,  as  did 
the  English  workmen  in  the  factory,  and  the  Mexi- 
cans too  gave  freely  of  their  means  and  of  their 
labor.  The  subscription  list  contained  the  names 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  men,  women,  and 
children,  and  the  total  was  $311.75 — a  remarkable 
amount  considering  the  circumstances  of  the  con- 
tributors. 

The  dedication  was  a  happy  time  for  the  little 
flock  when,  in  1878,  natives  and  foreigners  rejoiced 
over  the  completion  of  this,  the  first  Protestant 
church  building  to  be  erected  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  Prior  to  this  time  use  had  been  made  of 
buildings  remodeled  or  halls  adjusted  to  the  needs 
of  public  worship.  This,  however,  was  new  from 
foundation  to  the  bell  in  the  tower.  An  enthusiastic 
Lancashire  spinner,  in  addition  to  his  subscription, 
gave  ten  dollars  for  the  privilege  of  ringing  the  bell 
for  the  first  time. 

In  addition,  a  comfortable  parsonage  was  con- 
structed and  the  property  surrounded  by  a  substan- 
tial wall.  Later  school  rooms  were  put  up,  giving 
us  a  complete  plant.  Miss  Eleanor  Le  Huray  did 
heroic  work  in  building  up  the  school  for  girls. 
While  Dr.  Siberts  was  in  charge,  for  a  time  he  had 
the  Theological  School  in  temporary  quarters  in  the 

80 


MIEAFLORES 

parsonage.  Tliis  continued  until  he  went  with  the 
students  to  Pucbla.  The  pastor  now  in  charge  is 
the  Rev.  A.  M.  Avila,  nephew  of  the  founder  of  the 
congregation,  and  he  has  proven  himself  a  worker 
not  needing  to  be  ashamed. 

From  Miraflores  the  work  extended  to  Ameca- 
meca,  a  town  on  the  foothills  of  the  Volcano  Popo- 
catepetl. Amecameca  is  the  site  of  a  sacred  shrine 
known  by  the  name  of  The  Holy  Mount,  to  which 
weary  pilgrims  come  by  the  thousands  to  worship 
a  life-size  wooden  image  of  Christ,  which  is  kept  in 
a  glass  case  shaped  like  a  coffin.  The  shrine  is 
reached  by  a  rugged  stairway  with  fourteen  stations 
used  as  resting  places  by  the  pilgrims,  who  do  pen- 
ance by  ascending  on  their  knees.  The  first  station 
is  dedicated  to  Saint  Helena,  mother  of  Constantine. 
At  the  church  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  is  a  cave 
through  which  the  faithful  claim  that  they  can  hear 
the  music  of  the  organ  in  Saint  Peter's  in  Rome. 
There  are  different  fables  regarding  the  miraculous 
appearance  of  the  Lord  at  this  time.  One  is  that 
he  came  up  from  Rome  through  the  earth  and  left 
the  opening  which  is  called  the  cave.  Augustin 
Rivera,  at  one  time  our  pastor  here,  tells  how  he 
met  a  man  doing  penance  by  crawling  on  his  knees 
in  an  attempt  to  reach  the  shrine.  The  pastor  dis- 
mounted from  his  horse  and,  asking  God's  help  on 
the  effort,  succeeded  in  showing  the  man  a  better 
way.  The  penitent  rose  and  returned  to  town. 
Near  the  foot  of  the  hill  we  have  a   church  and 

81 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

school,  where  our  faithful  workers  present  the  gospel 
to  the  multitudes  of  pilgrims. 

From  the  top  of  The  Holy  Mount  one  views  a 
wonderful  panorama.  The  majestic  volcanoes  lift 
their  eternal  snows  to  the  sky.  To  the  left  the  valley 
extends  to  Miraflores,  and  to  the  right  it  drops 
gradually  to  the  hot  country,  the  "tierra  caliente." 
The  eye  sweeps  up  to  the  hardy  evergreens,  which 
reach  to  the  snow  line,  fourteen  thousand  feet  above 
sea  level,  then  we  look  down  to  a  beautiful  valley 
with  its  tropical  growth.  In  the  midst  of  the  beauty 
may  be  seen  Ayapango,  where  a  good  friend  donated 
the  ground  for  our  church  and  school.  Just  over 
beyond  Ayapango  are  Cui jingo  and  Poxtla,  where 
we  have  small  but  faithful  congregations.  To  the 
right  is  Atlautla,  the  site  of  the  Shaw  Memorial 
Chapel  erected  by  friends  in  Providence,  Rhode 
Island.  Beyond  are  two  other  villages  where  the 
gospel  is  preached.  This  gives  us  eight  congrega- 
tions in  this  valley.  War  conditions  temporarily 
checked  some  activities,  but  now  our  pastors  are  at 
their  posts. 

Nearer  to  Mexico  City  we  pass  through  the  Tex- 
coco  Valley,  where  we  have  five  congregations.  The 
story  of  our  entrance  here  is  this:  One  day  in  1879 
I  stood  at  the  door  of  the  Mission  House  in  Mexico 
City  and  saw  two  Indians  looking  from  side  to  side 
till  they  came  to  our  door.  They  stopped  to  con- 
sult each  other  and  then  approached  me,  stating 
that    they    were    from    San    Vicente    Chicoloapam, 

82 


MIRAFLORES 

twenty  miles  away,  and  they  had  walked  to  the  city 
to  inquire  about  religious  liberty.  In  my  study  the 
older  man,  Camilo  Arrieta,  said  that  some  time  pre~ 
viously  his  brother  procured  a  copy  of  the  New 
Testament,  which  had  been  loaned  to  him  and  which 
he  began  to  study  to  his  great  comfort.  He  assembled 
his  family  and  some  of  the  neighbors  each  Sun- 
day to  hear  him  read  from  the  sacred  volume.  A 
knowledge  of  these  gatherings  came  to  the  parish 
priest,  who  demanded  the  book,  and  they  did  not 
dare  to  refuse. 

He  went  on:  "But  when  my  brother  compelled  me 
to  give  it  back  to  him  I  tore  off  the  cover  and  kept 
it.  My  brother  took  the  book  to  the  priest,  who 
burned  it.  The  following  Sunday  the  little  company 
came  to  my  house  as  usual,  and  I  showed  them  the 
covers  of  the  sacred  book,  reminded  them  of  the 
promise  we  had  found  in  it  that  Christ  would  meet 
with  two  or  three.  We  talked  about  it  and  prayed 
till  we  felt  comforted.  The  priest  heard  that  we 
were  still  holding  our  meetings  and  induced  the 
mayor  to  notify  me  that  such  meetings  were  not  per- 
mitted. But  I  had  long  since  lost  all  confidence  in 
the  priest,  because  a  short  time  ago  one  of  my  neigh- 
bors was  sick  unto  death  and  I  sent  my  wife  to  ask 
the  father  to  bring  him  the  sacrament,  for  I  had 
been  taught  that  no  one  could  enter  heaven  without 
partaking  of  this  Host.  Imagine  my  indignation 
when  my  wife  returned  to  inform  me  that  the  priest 
had  made  improper  overtures  to  her.     I  concluded 

83 


METHODIST  EPISCOrAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

that  a  man  who  acted  that  way  and  who  also  dared 
to  burn  the  book  so  full  of  precious  promises  could 
not  be  a  good  man.  I  determined  never  again  to 
enter  his  church,  but  to  have  my  own  little  altar  in 
some  corner  of  my  house.  Now,  my  nephew  and  I 
have  come  into  the  city  to  learn  if  the  law  protects 
us  in  this  matter."  Aware  of  the  regard  which  these 
indigenous  people  have  for  a  lawyer,  and  knowing 
one  who  was  well  versed  in  the  Reform  Laws,  and 
being  in  sympathy  with  the  Indians,  I  took  the  two 
men  to  the  attorney's  office,  and  in  a  few  words  ex- 
plained the  situation.  He  listened  patiently,  then 
took  down  from  his  library  a  large  volume  contain- 
ing the  Constitution  and  the  Reform  Laws,  and 
slowly  read  to  the  visitors  the  articles  bearing  on  the 
question.  I  shall  never  forget  their  looks  of  satis- 
faction as  they  listened. 

The  next  Sunday  morning  early  I  rode  out  of  the 
city  gate  about  daylight,  and  reached  Don  Camilo's 
house  at  9  a.  m.  We  sent  formal  notice  of  our  meet- 
ing to  the  mayor,  saying  that  henceforth  we  would 
hold  such  meetings  regularly  under  the  protection 
of  the  law,  and  that  if  he  allowed  any  one  to  inter- 
fere, we  should  appeal  to  the  governor  of  the  state, 
and,  if  necessary,  to  the  president  of  the  republic. 
From  that  day  no  one  ever  questioned  our  right  to 
hold  services  in  San  Vicente  Chicoloapam.  I 
preached  to  some  twenty  people  in  the  adobe  hut 
belonging  to  Don  Camilo  and  gave  out  copies  of  the 
Bible.     At  the  close  our  host  exhorted  the  people 

84 


MIRAFLORES 

to  join  him  in  pledging  funds  to  build  a  chapel  and 
promised  that  he  would  donate  the  land.  When 
asked  where  we  could  locate  the  building,  he  replied, 
"Choose  from  anything  I  have."  A  few  weeks  later 
we  laid  the  corner  stone,  and  friends,  hearing  of  the 
incident,  contributed  funds  to  help  with  the  edifice. 
On  the  day  it  was  dedicated  the  happiest  man  in  all 
Mexico  was  dear  old  Don  Camilo  as  he  said,  "On  the 
ashes  of  a  burned  Testament  we  built  a  house  for 
God." 

The  little  flock  was  by  no  means  free  from  perse- 
cution. Fanatical  neighbors  connived  with  fanatical 
authorities  to  arrest  Don  Camilo  upon  false  charges, 
and  after  confinement  in  the  village  prison  he  was 
removed  to  the  country  jail  six  miles  away.  Friends 
of  the  congregation  who  had  watched  the  village 
jail  night  and  day  hastily  gave  the  alarm  and  the 
guard  of  soldiers  conveying  the  prisoner  found  them- 
selves accompanied  by  several  witnesses,  who  planned 
tc  go  with  him  to  the  jail  to  see  that  no  "Flight 
Law"  trick  was  applied  to  their  beloved  leader.  In 
the  jail  Don  Camilo  was  given  every  consideration. 
When  I  visited  him  I  found  that  he  was  being  per- 
mitted to  read  the  Bible  and  talk  to  his  fellow  prison- 
ers. It  did  not  take  the  authorities  long  to  under- 
stand the  situation,  and  he  returned  home  to  spread 
the  good  tidings  with  more  earnestness  than  ever. 
From  San  Vincente  the  work  has  spread  to  Coatlin- 
chan  and  to  Cuanala  and  San  Francisco. 


85 


CHAPTER  IX 
PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

The  capital  city  of  the  state  of  Puebla  has  two 
names.  The  masses  generally  call  it  Puebla  of  the 
Angels,  while  the  official  name  is  Puebla  of  Zaragoza. 
For  the  first  there  are  three  traditions,  one  of  which 
is  to  the  effect  that  in  1530  Bishop  Garces  in  a 
dream  saw  the  angels  surveying  the  site  of  the  city. 
Another  is  that  while  the  Spaniards  were  building 
the  city  a  great  multitude  of  angels  appeared  to 
Queen  Isabella  in  a  dream  and  indicated  the  name  to 
her.  The  superlatively  absurd  tradition,  however, 
is  the  most  popular,  namely,  that  while  the  great 
cathedral  was  in  process  of  construction  the  angels 
came  by  night  and  built  just  as  much  as  the  men 
built  by  day.  Even  with  this  angelic  aid  it  took 
ninety-one  years  to  finish  the  splendid  pile. 

The  official  name  was  given  in  1862  after  General 
Zaragoza  drove  out  the  French  invaders.  Whatever 
name  is  used,  Puebla,  with  its  one  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants,  is  recognized  as  the  second  city  in  the 
republic.  Until  recently  it  was  rightly  considered 
the  most  fanatical  of  Mexican  cities,  possibly  shar- 
ing this  dubious  honor  with  Querctaro.  Eighty 
miles  separates  it  from  Mexico  City,  though  by  the 

86 


PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

railway  around  the  foot  of  the  mountains  it  is  over 
one  hundred  miles  of  travel. 

The  Inquisition  was  situated  in  this  city  till  it 
was  seized  by  the  Liberals  at  the  time  of  the  na- 
tionalization of  the  other  churches'  properties.  Dr. 
William  Butler  counted  it  a  happy  chance  to  pur- 
chase a  part  of  the  old  Inquisition  building  through 
the  agency  of  a  German  Jew  who  had  no  scruples  in 
selling  to  Protestants.  Dr.  Butler  regarded  this 
purchase  of  such  importance  that  he  wrote,  "The 
fact  that  Puebla  has  been  and  is  the  ecclesiastical 
headquarters  in  this  country,  and  that  our  Meth- 
odist mission  has  to-day  its  home  and  center  of 
operations  in  the  very  building  which  was  so  long 
the  Inquisition,  is  surely  sufficient  to  turn  the 
thought  of  our  church  and  of  Christian  men  gener- 
ally with  deepest  solicitude  and  prayerful  interest 
to  a  mission  thus  situated."1 

After  mentioning  the  time  necessary  to  transform 
a  Spanish  Inquisition  into  a  Methodist  mission  he 
continues:  "Out  of  the  cells  and  from  beneath  the 
floors  we  took  more  than  two  hundred  skeletons  of 
the  dead.  .  .  .  Who  they  were  and  what  their  story 
He  alone  knows  who  'has  appointed  a  day  when 
He  will  bring  to  light  these  hidden  things  of  dark- 
ness' and  reward  their  perpetrators  'according  to 
their  works.'  .  .  .  No  Christian  mission  in  the 
preparation  of  its  home  ever  before  had  such  work 


1  See  Mexico  in  Transition  for  details. 

87 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

laid  upon  it.  And  I  cannot  but  think  that  such 
facts,  so  thrilling  and  so  peculiar,  are  yet  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  peculiar  and  special  mercy.  There  were 
prayers  and  hopes  uttered  and  cherished  within  those 
solid  walls  as  well  as  sufferings  endured  that  God 
will  never  forget  and  will  yet  surely  answer.  He 
has  already  begun  that  answer,  for  we  are  here  as 
the  result  of  this  interposition,  and  the  rest  is  com- 
ing— coming  in  mercy  and  grace  and  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  salvation  of  the  people  of 
Puebla." 

At  the  first  service  only  six  were  present.  Brother 
Drees  wrote:  "Those  who  came  are  men  who  have 
suffered  for  conscience'  sake  wounds  and  hunger  and 
nakedness.  They  told  me  that  they  knew  of  others 
of  like  conviction  and  courage."  Some  boys  in  our 
Mexico  City  school,  with  their  teacher  and  his  wife 
and  their  helper,  soon  came  to  Puebla  and  lent  addi- 
tional strength  to  the  gatherings.  The  first  Sunday 
in  July,  1875,  an  organ  which  had  been  donated  was 
used  to  lead  in  singing  and  the  sound  attracted  a 
crowd  of  curious  people.  In  the  midst  of  the  service 
a  big  stone  came  crashing  through  the  window.  The 
consul-general  of  the  United  States,  who  was  in  the 
chapel,  took  ten  dollars  out  of  his  pocket  and  gave 
it  to  the  superintendent  with  the  remark  that  he 
would  pay  for  all  the  windows  which  might  be 
broken.  In  August  the  chapel  was  dedicated  with 
an  attendance  of  about  two  hundred.  Brother 
Drees  preached  on  the  text :  "If  this  counsel  or  this 

88 


PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

work  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to  nought:  but  if  it  be 
of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it." 

Before  we  left  Mexico  City  to  attend  this  service 
a  warning  was  brought  by  an  Englishman,  who 
begged  us  not  to  attempt  to  go  to  Puebla  and,  in- 
deed, to  withdraw  those  already  in  that  city,  that 
the  fanatics  were  working  up  a  plot  to  prevent  the 
dedication  of  the  church  and  to  make  way  with  those 
who  should  attempt  it.  Father  listened  quietly  and 
replied:  "If  I  were  afraid  to  go  to  Puebla,  I  should 
have  remained  in  the  United  States.  God  will  take 
care  of  us."  President  Lerdo  was  notified  of  the 
plan  to  dedicate  the  church,  and  he  instructed  the 
governor  of  the  state  to  extend  to  us  the  full  protec- 
tion of  the  law.  The  day  passed  without  serious 
disturbance  and  was  a  genuine  triumph  for  our 
cause.  The  event  was  the  talk  of  the  town.  A 
Catholic  paper,  called  The  Friend  of  Truth,  dedi- 
cated its  editorial  to  us,  and  referring  to  the  preach- 
ers of  the  day,  it  said :  "The  unhappy  apostates  who 
thus  exhibited  themselves  commenced  by  denying 
their  names  and  country.  They  are  Mexicans,  and 
though  they  have  Spanish  names  they  caused  them- 
selves to  be  announced  with  the  names  of  C.  W.  Drees 
and  John  W.  Butler,  in  order  to  give  themselves 
importance  with  Yankee  varnish,  as  if  the  rubbish 
which  the  United  States  flings  at  us  merited  more 
consideration  than  the  poor  but  honest  Mexican." 
If  the  readers  of  this  had  ever  seen  our  hair  and  eyes, 
to  say  nothing  of  hearing  our  speech  with  its  foreign 

89 


methodist  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

accent,  they  would  have  known  at  once  how  much 
of  a  "friend  of  truth"  was  that  paper ! 

Two  young  men  and  one  native  helper  formed  the 
nucleus  of  the  Theological  School.  From  classes 
soon  formed  have  come  some  of  our  best  workers — 
men  like  Gamboa,  Euroza,  Valderrama,  Tovar,  and 
Lopez.  The  first  sacramental  service,  held  soon 
after  the  dedication  of  the  church,  was  attended 
by  about  two  hundred  people,  all  of  whom  saw  for 
the  first  time  the  laity  receiving  the  wine  as  well  as 
the  bread. 

The  work  spread  to  Apizaco,  a  railroad  junction, 
and  within  a  year  a  little  church  was  built  there  at 
a  cost  of  sixteen  hundred  dollars.  Always  in  estab- 
lishing new  work  we  insisted  on  having  the  marriage 
ceremony  for  those  who  had  not  legalized  their  rela- 
tions because  of  the  exorbitant  charge  made  by  the 
priests  for  that  "sacrament."  We  performed  the 
ceremony  after  our  service  and  made  no  charge,  but 
urged  the  vital  importance  of  the  act.  Later  we 
would  baptize  the  children,  and  in  some  cases  the 
brides  would  bring  their  babies  forward.  The  knowl- 
edge of  the  gospel  had  opened  the  eyes  of  these  peo- 
ple to  their  duty.  On  relating  to  the  attorney- 
general  of  Mexico  some  such  examples  which  had 
come  under  my  observation  he  remarked:  "Protes- 
tantism will  confer  a  great  blessing  on  Mexico  in 
helping  to  regulate  this  one  matter,  so  long  shame- 
fully neglected." 

Dr.  Drees  soon  wrote  that  his  growing  congrega- 

90 


:. 


=*ssS\ 


Oru  Church  at  Puebl  \ 


PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

tion  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  well-sustained 
society.  The  membership  was  composed  of  poor 
people  who  lived  in  the  midst  of  constant  persecu- 
tion. The  influence  of  the  gospel  was  seen  in  some 
who  formerly  were  idle  inebriates  and  clothed  in 
rags,  who  now  attend  the  services  with  punctuality, 
clothed  neatly  and  in  their  right  minds.  General 
Bonilla,  governor  of  the  state,  and  other  officials 
were  manifestly  friendly,  and  self-support  was  urged 
on  our  people  and  seemed  to  be  acceptable  to  all  the 
congregation. 

The  Rev.  Epigmenio  Monroy  was  sent  to  Apizaco 
as  pastor  in  1881.  He  opened  a  day  school  with 
thirty  children  and  his  influence  reached  out  into 
adjoining  villages.  Returning  from  the  first  service 
in  Santa  Ana,  a  village  five  miles  from  Apizaco, 
where  he  had  gone  with  two  brothers  for  the  first 
Protestant  service,  they  were  set  upon  and  assaulted 
by  a  band  of  a  dozen  fanatics  armed  with  machetes 
and  clubs.  Pastor  Monroy  was  almost  hacked  to 
pieces  and  left  for  dead.  Both  of  his  companions 
were  badly  hurt,  but  one  was  able  to  crawl  to  town 
and  give  the  alarm.  Police  and  friends  hurried  to 
the  scene  and  tenderly  carried  Pastor  Monroy  to 
his  home,  where,  after  hours  of  intense  suffering,  he 
died  praying  for  his  murderers,  and  advising  the 
family  not  to  prosecute  them,  for  "they  know  not 
what  they  do."  When  one  of  his  companions  died 
a  few  weeks  after,  he  was  refused  burial  in  the  village 
cemetery  and  so  was  buried  in  the  open  field. 

91 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

The  beginning  of  our  strong  institute  for  young 
women  in  Puebla  was  in  1881,  when  Miss  Warner 
opened  a  school  with  three  little  girls  in  a  rented 
house.  At  the  end  of  the  year  she  had  eighteen 
pupils,  and  the  next  year  twenty-four.  We  now 
enroll  over  eight  hundred. 

In  1882  an  extension  was  made  by  the  Rev.  S.  W. 
Siberts  and  J.  M.  Euroza  in  the  mountain  regions, 
in  the  district  of  Tetela.  Friendly  folk  were  found 
in  Texmelucan  and  work  inaugurated.  Five  hundred 
Testaments  and  hundreds  of  tracts  were  distributed 
and  preaching  services  were  held  in  school  and 
homes.  A  congregation  of  over  three  hundred  gath- 
ered in  Xochiapulco.  The  entire  mountain  region, 
sometimes  called  the  Switzerland  of  Mexico,  in- 
habited by  pure-blooded  Indians,  seemed  most  favor- 
able toward  the  gospel.  The  historic  church  had 
lost  prestige  among  them,  and  Xochiapulco,  the 
principal  town  of  the  district,  had  been  without  a 
priest  for  eleven  years.  It  is  to  be  deplored  that  our 
mission  lacked  the  necessary  resources  to  fully  meet 
the  opportunities  of  these  days.  Two  missionaries 
with  half  a  dozen  Mexican  pastors  and  teachers 
could  have  brought  thousands  into  the  church  in  a 
short  time. 

Texlutlan  and  other  towns  opened  to  us.  Twenty- 
one  congregations  had  been  gathered  by  1886  and 
four  schools  had  been  opened  for  boys  and  four  for 
girls.  With  the  remarkable  growth  of  the  work  in 
the  city  of  Puebla  the  old  Inquisition  building  be- 

92 


PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

came  altogether  too  small,  and  in  1886  we  were  able 
to  secure  a  new  and  more  favorably  located  property 
in  Calle  Tamariz.  The  property  was  purchased 
from  a  young  Mexican  woman  for  six  thousand 
pesos.  When  the  father  confessor  learned  that  she 
had  sold  to  "heretics"  he  compelled  her,  much  to  the 
disgust  of  her  brother,  to  give  to  the  church  one 
thousand  pesos  to  atone,  if  possible,  for  the  sin. 
However,  when  she  realized  what  she  had  done,  she 
preferred  to  sell  to  us  also  the  adjoining  premises, 
in  order  to  avoid  having  to  live  as  neighbor  to 
"heretics."  This  second  piece  included  a  large  gar- 
den and  was  exactly  what  we  needed.  With  this 
purchase  our  property  ran  from  street  to  street  and 
comprised  about  one  fourth  of  the  block.  Later  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  made  several 
purchases  adjoining  the  Board's  property,  each 
time  in  what  seemed  to  be  a  most  providential  man- 
ner. When  we  recall  that  fifteen  years  earlier  the 
only  person  who  would  consent  to  have  property 
dealings  with  us  was  a  Jew,  we  can  realize  how 
Protestantism  had  been  gaining  in  favor  in  this 
community. 

The  new  building  and  other  evidences  of  growth 
brought  from  the  episcopal  palace  an  edict  ad- 
dressed to  "All  the  faithful,"  prohibiting  them  from 
selling  to  Protestants  materials  for  building  and 
forbidding  all  mechanics  working  for  them  or  par- 
ents putting  their  children  in  their  schools.  People 
reading  our  books  or  tracts  were  threatened  with 

93 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

penalty.  "His  most  illustrious  Holiness"  recom- 
mended the  faithful  to  pray  by  the  intercession  of 
the  Immaculate  Mother  to  confound  the  enterprises 
that  threatened  the  "one  Holy  Catholic  and  Apos- 
tolic Church." 

In  1887  an  independent  congregation  in  Atzala 
petitioned  for  admission  into  our  church.  Eight 
years  previously  twenty-two  of  their  number  had 
been  cruelly  massacred  by  fanatics,  who  threatened 
the  little  company  about  the  time  they  joined  us,  but 
an  appeal  to  the  president  of  the  republic  brought 
peremptory  orders  to  the  local  authorities,  who  then 
gave  us  full  protection.  These  people,  though  poor, 
built  their  chapel  without  outside  help,  and  before 
long  the  work  spread  to  the  nearby  towns  of  Chietla 
and  Matamoros,  and  developed  later  in  Atlizco,  San 
Martin,  and  Jonacatepec. 

In  March  of  this  year  we  were  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  death  of  Simon  Loza.  Only  two  months 
before  in  the  Conference  love  feast  he  gave  an  im- 
pressive testimony:  "Brothers,  I  feel  a  conviction 
that  I  may  not  meet  you  again.  When  I  reach  heaven 
I  shall  at  once  endeavor  to  get  near  the  throne  to 
look  into  the  face  of  Him  who  redeemed  me.  Then  I 
shall  return  to  the  gate  to  await  the  coming  of  this 
brother  [pointing  to  Dr.  Craver]  and  to  conduct 
him  up  to  the  throne  and  say,  'Here  is  the  man  who 
led  me  to  Thee.'  "  As  I  listened  to  this  I  said,  "It 
pays  to  be  a  missionary." 

In  1892  work  was  begun  on  the  church  in  Panotla 

94 


PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

and  Puebla.  Dr.  Drees,  who  had  been  the  first  mis- 
sionary, was  visiting  the  country  and  dedicated  the 
church  in  Puebla.  It  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
and  conveniently  arranged  Protestant  churches  in 
the  country. 

In  November,  1892,  a  great  loss  came  not  only 
to  our  Puebla  circle  but  to  the  entire  mission,  in 
the  death  of  Conrado  Gamboa,  the  third  of  our 
preachers  to  fall  a  victim  to  yellow  fever.  In  a  sense 
his  was  a  vicarious  death,  for  he  volunteered  to  visit 
the  coast  district  for  the  American  presiding  elder. 
From  that  visit  he  returned  smitten,  and  within  a 
few  days  passed  away.  We  have  learned  by  these 
multiplied  and  sad  experiences  that  the  average 
foreigner  will  resist  the  coast  fevers  better  than  the 
Mexicans  who  are  born  on  the  high  table-lands. 
B.  N.  Velasco  was  the  indefatigable  pastor  of  Puebla 
in  1894.  Two  Epworth  Leagues  were  organized  this 
year,  and  later  nearly  all  the  churches  of  the  district 
had  at  least  a  Junior  League. 

In  1895  the  Puebla  and  Coast  Districts,  with  their 
twenty-three  circuits  extending  into  four  states, 
were  united  under  the  supervision  of  F.  S.  Borton, 
who  at  the  close  of  the  first  year  relinquished  the 
district  to  devote  himself  to  teaching  in  the  Theo- 
logical School.  In  his  annual  report  Dr.  Borton  tells 
of  revivals  in  Puebla.  In  this  year  occurred  the  death 
of  Dr.  A.  W.  Newlin,  who  was  only  three  months  in 
the  country,  but  who  had  greatly  endeared  himself  to 
the  faculty  and  students  of  the  Puebla  Institute. 

95 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

In  1896  the  Mountain  District  was  set  apart  with 
eleven  circuits  of  the  Puebla  District,  under  V.  D. 
Baez  as  presiding  elder.  At  the  same  time  the  work 
in  the  state  of  Oaxaca  was  organized  into  another 
district  with  S.  I.  Lopez  as  presiding  elder.  The 
growing  interest  and  the  extension  of  our  territory 
fully  justified  these  steps.  Soon  after  initial  effort 
began  in  the  town  of  San  Rafael  (1898)  the  young 
preacher  Tomas  Garcia  was  arrested  by  fanatical 
authorities  under  the  pretext  that  the  law  did  not 
allow  such  services,  and  angry  people  threatened  to 
burn  the  houses  of  all  Protestants.  W.  S.  Spencer, 
president  of  our  school,  reported  the  matter  to  the 
governor,  whose  orders  changed  the  minds  of  the 
town  authorities.  The  pastor  was  immediately 
liberated  and,  threats  notwithstanding,  our  services 
were  held  next  Sunday  as  usual,  our  adherents  pub- 
licly renewing  their  vows  to  stand  firm  in  the  face 
of  all  persecutions.  Mexican  Christians  surely  have 
in  them  the  courage  of  martyrs. 

On  the  completion  of  the  first  quarter  of  a  century 
of  our  mission  in  1898  the  Conference  met  in  Puebla 
with  Bishop  FitzGerald  presiding.  An  affectionate 
message  was  cabled  to  the  founder  of  the  mission, 
then  living  in  Newton  Center,  Massachusetts.  The 
auditorium  of  the  new  church  was  dedicated  the  eve- 
ning prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Conference.  The 
Catholic  organ  El  Amigo  de  la  Verdad  kept  up  an 
almost  constant  fusillade  against  our  work,  the  re- 
sult  of  which  was   to  bring  more  people  into   our 

96 


TUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

services.  Special  attention  was  paid  to  Dr.  Borton 
because  he  had  made  public  that  abominable  prac- 
tice, "The  Raffle  for  Souls."  The  Catholic  press  in 
the  United  States  took  up  the  matter,  denying  the 
practice.  A  little  later  the  Bishop  of  Puebla  came 
out  with  an  edict  prohibiting  the  continuance  of  the 
raffles.  Dr.  Borton's  statements  were  thus  fully  justi- 
fied. The  following  year  the  Bishop  of  Puebla  called 
together  the  representatives  of  the  rich  families  to 
inform  them  of  the  growing  influence  of  our  work. 
It  was  reported  that  the  Methodists  must  have  large 
resources  to  sustain  such  agencies,  and  he  immedi- 
ately took  steps  to  secure  large  donations  for  the 
founding  of  a  school  for  girls  under  Catholic 
auspices.  How  surprised  he  would  have  been  had  he 
known  the  limited  resources — consisting  of  a  few 
thousand  dollars  annually,  while  about  half  the  sup- 
port at  the  time  came  from  indigenous  resources  in 
Puebla  itself ! 

Eduardo  Zapata  was  pastor  here  in  1902,  followed 
by  Vicente  Mendoza.  While  they  served  there 
was  activity  throughout  the  district  in  church 
building.  San  Rafael,  San  Filipe,  San  Bernabe 
Tezontepec,  and  Zacaola  all  erected  church  edifices, 
while  in  San  Felipe  a  modest  parsonage  was  added. 
In  several  of  these  cases  a  donation  was  made 
by  our  good  friend,  Phillip  Reynolds,  of  Brockton, 
Massachusetts.  Further  evidence  of  the  vitality 
of  our  work  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  district 
contributed  in  1904  nearly  $36,000,  silver,  for  all 

97 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

purposes — a  larger  sum  than  that  contributed  by 
the  Missionary  Society  in  the  earlier  years  of  the 
mission. 

Our  people  practiced  their  Christianity  so  faith- 
fully as  to  accord  them  an  ever-increasing  influence. 
One  illustration  will  suffice.  Two  members  of  the 
Tepetitla  church  went  to  work  with  other  masons 
on  an  estate  near  their  village.  The  wealthy  owner 
soon  noticed  that  these  two  accomplished  more  each 
day  than  the  others,  that  they  were  cleaner  in  dress 
and  language,  and  that  they  worked  faithfully  six 
days  in  the  week.  Inquiring  where  they  had  acquired 
these  desirable  habits,  they  said  that  they  were  Meth- 
odists and  had  learned  their  rules  of  living  from  the 
teachings  of  the  Bible.  The  owner  at  once  ordered 
a  Bible  and  other  evangelical  books  and  invited  the 
pastor  to  visit  him  every  week.  It  is  such  good 
fruits  as  this  that  will  yet  commend  evangelical 
Christianity  to  all  Mexico. 

Another  manner  in  which  the  vitality  of  the  work 
in  Mexico  is  evidenced  is  in  the  way  our  congrega- 
tions contribute  to  the  cause  of  missions.  As  early 
as  1905  they  had  Missionary  Day  in  the  Puebla 
congregation.  There  were  three  speakers — one 
from  Chile,  another  from  California,  and  one  from 
Massachusetts.  Little  pasteboard  boxes  which  had 
been  previously  distributed  were  brought  in  and  the 
contents  of  box  after  box  placed  on  the  altar.  One 
poor  woman  declared  that  the  cause  deserved  the 
best  she  could  bring,  and  when  her  box  was  opened 

98 


PUEBLA  AND  TLAXCALA 

it  was  found  to  contain  nearly  three  hundred  copper 
coins. 

In  1906  Methodism  in  Puebla  felt  itself  strong 
enough  to  invite  the  Young  People's  National  Con- 
vention to  meet  in  the  new  church.  So  in  July  five 
hundred  and  twenty-one  delegates  came  from  all 
over  the  republic  for  what  proved  to  be  a  most  de- 
lightful occasion.  The  delegates  were  seen  and 
known  everywhere  in  this  aforetime  fanatical  center. 
During  the  session  they  mingled  with  the  other  peo- 
ple in  hotels  and  homes  of  the  Poblanos,  and  not 
one  instance  of  resentment  was  reported.  Such  the 
marvelous  change  in  one  short  generation ! 

In  Tlaxcala  the  four  congregations  and  two  schools 
are  evidences  of  healthy  growth.  At  the  closing 
exercises  of  the  school  at  Panotla  three  hundred 
people  were  present,  and  the  principal  address  was 
given  by  the  governor  of  the  state.  The  two  schools 
in  Puebla  by  1907  had  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
buildings,  so  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  sold  its 
section  to  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
and  built  on  a  well-located  site  in  the  suburbs,  where 
there  would  be  ample  room  for  expansion. 

With  the  Rev.  H.  A.  Bassett  in  charge  of  the 
Puebla  District,  and  the  Rev.  V.  D.  Baez,  of  the 
Mountain  District,  the  work  expanded  steadily  with 
such  pastors  to  aid  as  M.  Z.  Garza,  F.  F.  Wolfe, 
Miguel  Rojas,  L.  E.  Martinez,  Pablo  Aguilar,  J.  A. 
Osorio,  P.  V.  Espinosa,  R.  A.  Carhart,  and  Jorge 
Corona.     Later  came  F.  P.  Lawyer  as  superintend- 

99 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

ent,  with  Alfonso  Hcrrera,  F.  S.  Lendrum,  Carlos 
Sanchez,  and  A.  S.  Zambrano.  All  these  labored 
together  in  the  gospel. 

Dr.  Bassett  reported  that  the  leader  of  the  mob 
which  attacked  our  congregation  in  Tezontepec  was 
converted  when  sixty-five  years  old  and  walked  from 
his  distant  home  in  the  mountains  to  Apizaco  to 
attend  Quarterly  Conference  and  to  receive  for  the 
first  time  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  from 
the  hands  of  an  evangelical  minister.  At  the  same 
time  appeared  a  man  who  was  one  of  the  mob  which 
years  before  had  murdered  our  pastor,  Epigmenio 
Monroy — now  seeking  Christian  baptism.  There 
are  a  dozen  preaching  places  in  this  circuit.  In 
one  of  these  a  man  was  heard  to  say  when  we  began, 
"A  bullet  will  stop  that  enterprise."  But  when  our 
school  gave  its  first  entertainment  that  man  was  a 
member  of  the  orchestra  which  gladly  furnished  the 
music  for  the  occasion. 

To-day  we  have  in  this  state,  after  little  more 
than  a  generation  of  effort,  nineteen  circuits,  some 
with  several  preaching  places;  over  two  thousand 
communicants,  with  more  than  that  number  of  ad- 
herents; seventeen  day  schools,  with  over  fifteen 
hundred  scholars  and  buildings  worth  over  $300,000, 
silver.  We  have  thirty-four  Sunday  schools,  with 
seventeen  hundred  pupils ;  twenty-two  chapels  and 
churches,  which  with  their  parsonages  are  worth 
$70,000,  silver.  Surely  this  work  is  of  God,  and  men 
will  not  overturn  it. 

100 


CHAPTER  X 

GUANAJUATO  AND  THE  MEDICAL  WORK 

The  city  of  Guanajuato,  capital  of  the  state  of 
the  same  name,  lies  in  a  deep  ravine  with  mountains 
rising  high  on  all  sides.  The  houses  are  built  on  the 
sides  of  the  hills,  which  in  some  places  are  so  steep 
that  the  floor  of  one  house  is  on  a  level  with  the 
roof  of  the  next  house.  There  is  one  street  which 
in  serpentine  fashion  runs  the  whole  length  of  the 
city  and  is  about  the  only  one  wide  enough  for  car- 
riages. A  tramway  has  been  laid  through  this 
street,  and  in  many  places  people  on  either  sidewalk 
can  shake  hands  with  the  passengers  without  step- 
ping down  from  the  curb.  This  unique  city  contains 
from  sixty  to  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  accord- 
ing to  the  condition  at  the  mines.  For  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  men  have  been  eagerly  digging 
in  these  mountains  for  silver.  As  a  mining  center 
Guanajuato  dates  back  to  1554,  and  in  1741  it 
became  a  city.  In  1820  Baron  Humboldt  said  that 
one  fourth  of  all  the  silver  ever  mined  in  Mexico  has 
been  extracted  from  the  Veta  Madre  of  Guanajuato, 
and  the  work  has  been  carried  on  ever  since  and  with 
modern  methods.  H.  G.  Ward,  British  charge  in 
1825,  said  that  the  Rayos  mine  had,  from  its  dis- 

101 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

coverj  up  to  the  time  of  his  visit,  paid  over  to  the 
king  of  Spain  as  his  fifth  of  the  profits  $17,363,000, 
gold.  One  can  readily  credit  the  tales  of  the  billions 
of  silver  being  taken  from  the  Guanajuato  mines. 

The  earliest  plan  of  the  mission  contemplated 
work  in  this  city,  in  spite  of  the  warning  given  to 
Dr.  Butler  by  an  English  resident,  who  came  to  see 
the  superintendent  in  Mexico  City.  He  said  he  un- 
derstood that  we  planned  to  open  work  in  Guana- 
juato with  two  young  missionaries.  He  had  lived 
among  the  people  and  knew  them  well  and  said  that 
if  we  wished  to  come  to  see  the  mines  we  would  re- 
ceive a  hearty  welcome,  but  his  advice  was  not  to 
think  of  coming  as  Protestant  ministers.  "It  would 
cost  you  your  lives,"  he  declared.  "You  can  never 
establish  Protestantism  in  Guanajuato." 

In  the  face  of  this  warning  Dr.  Butler  started  on 
February  7,  1876,  with  the  Rev.  S.  P.  Craver  and 
his  wife,  the  first  missionaries  to  enter  the  city  with 
the  idea  of  remaining.  Earlier  an  agent  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  had  sold  there  a 
goodly  number  of  Bibles  and  other  good  books,  and 
the  Rev.  Maxwell  Phillips,  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  had  also  visited  Guanajuato.  The  Meth- 
odist missionaries  were  cordially  received  by  English 
residents,  but  all  prophesied  failure  for  the  mission. 
(It  is  known  that  the  man  who  warned  us  not  to 
enter  the  city  with  our  message  was  himself,  a  few 
years  later  but  in  another  camp,  robbed  of  the 
money  he  was  to  pay  his  men  and  killed  by  the  very 

102 


GUANAJUATO 

people  who  he  declared  were  all  right  if  left  un- 
molested in  their  beliefs.) 

Four  days  after  his  arrival  Dr.  Butler  had  an 
interview  with  General  Antillan,  governor  of  the 
state,  which  was  most  satisfactory.  After  present- 
ing letters  of  introduction,  Dr.  Butler  gave  the  gov- 
ernor a  copy  of  the  Bible  and  samples  of  the  books 
published  by  our  press,  especially  calling  his  atten- 
tion to  the  twenty-third  Article  of  Religion  and  its 
footnote,  as  found  in  our  Book  of  Discipline,  and 
explained  clearly  that  Protestant  missionaries  were 
always  obedient  to  civil  authorities  under  all  forms 
of  government  the  world  over,  and  that  in  coming 
to  Guanajuato  they  asked  only  such  protection  as 
Mexican  law  provided  for  all  creeds.  The  governor 
seemed  to  appreciate  this,  though  he  said  that  they 
might  find  the  work  difficult.  He  said  he  was  glad 
to  welcome  Protestantism  to  the  state,  and  promised 
all  the  rights  offered  by  the  Constitution.  This 
promise  he  invariably  kept. 

The  presence  of  the  missionaries  was  soon  noticed. 
Word  was  sent  by  the  disturbed  priests  to  the  bishop, 
who  lived  in  Leon.  He  came  immediately  to  Guana- 
juato and,  being  informed  of  the  situation,  issued 
an  episcopal  edict  which  was  read  in  all  churches 
of  the  diocese  the  following  Sunday.  So  two  Meth- 
odist missionaries  had  the  attention  of  an  entire 
diocese  within  less  than  a  month  after  their  arrival. 

The  edict  was  also  printed  and  spread  broadcast. 
It  began  as  follows:  "Doctor  and  Master  Joseph 

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METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

Mary  de  Jesus  Diez  de  Sollano  y  Davalos,  Bishop 
of  Leon  by  the  Grace  of  God  and  of  the  Holy  Apos- 
tolic See,  to  our  Most  Illustrious  and  Venerable 
Chapter,  to  Our  Faithful  Curates,  Venerable  Clergy 
and  Dearly  Beloved  and  Faithful  Diocesans ;  Health 
and  Peace  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"Unfortunately  it  is  the  case  that  in  this  Capital 
of  Guanajuato  some  Protestants  have  arrived,  who 
call  themselves  of  the  sect  known  as  the  'Evangelical 
Church,'  and  who,  in  the  midst  of  an  entirely  Catho- 
lic people  who  glory  in  having  for  their  patron  the 
august  Mother  of  God,  have  not  hesitated  to  scatter 
a  tract,  in  which,  under  the  title  of  'What  Do  the 
Protestants  Believe?'  they  have  set  down  a  heap  of 
heretical  errors,  commencing  by  denying  to  the  illus- 
trious Virgin  Mary  the  title  of  Mother  of  God:  go- 
ing on  by  denying  the  real  presence  of  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord  in  the  sacred  Eucharist;  rejecting  the 
divine  traditions,  calumniating  the  Sacramental 
Confession,  and  refusing  to  recognize  the  dogmas 
of  the  Holy  Mass,  of  the  existence  of  Purgatory,  of 
the  Invocation  of  the  saints,  and  of  the  veneration 
of  the  sacred  images ;  and  trying  to  take  away  from 
the  people  even  the  comfort  of  going  to  the  Mother 
of  God  in  their  afflictions  and  of  satisfying  Divine 
Justice  with  indulgences." 

After  expressing  the  hope  that  this  brief  pastoral 
would  suffice  to  correct  such  a  multitude  of  errors, 
the  bishop  adds  that  the  above  mentioned  tract  is, 
like  all  others  coming  from  Protestants,  in  the  ex- 

104 


GUANAJUATO 

purgatorial  Index,  and  therefore  prohibited,  and 
says :  "We  command  all  those  who  wish  to  remain 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  not  to 
read  them,  nor  to  retain  them,  but  to  burn  or  deliver 
them  to  the  priest." 

Two  results  were  noticeable  after  this  circulation 
of  this  edict:  one  a  more  manifest  hostility  on  the 
part  of  the  people,  and  the  other  a  greatly  increased 
demand  for  our  tracts.  Five  days  after  it  was  read 
in  the  churches  an  employee  of  the  mission  was  at- 
tacked by  a  mob,  but  was  protected  by  the  police 
and  taken  to  the  mission  house,  where  for  hours  the 
angry  multitude  remained  crying,  "Death  to  the 
Protestants."  The  commander  of  the  police  de- 
clared later  that  there  were  three  priests  in  the  crowd 
urging  this  on. 

Two  Mexican  preachers,  Francisco  Aguilar  and 
Jesus  Ramirez,  came  to  Guanajuato  in  March,  and 
public  services  were  begun  in  the  home  of  the  mis- 
sionaries on  April  2.  The  morning  service  was  at- 
tended by  twelve  men  and  was  conducted  without 
singing.  Brother  Aguilar  preached  from  the  text, 
"Go  ye  into  all  the  world." 

In  the  evening  thirty  were  present,  including  a  few 
women.  The  attendance  gradually  increased  so  that 
by  the  third  week  the  mission  home  was  found  too 
small  to  accommodate  the  numbers.  A  hall  was 
therefore  secured  and  the  attendance  mounted  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty.  A  probationers'  class  was 
formed,  but  persecution  and  the  requirements  of  our 

105 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

Discipline,  especially  in  the  matter  of  marital  rela- 
tions, reduced  the  number.  This  has  been  so  in  all 
our  churches  and  is  one  reason  why  our  membership 
does  not  grow  more  rapidly.  If  we  were  as  lax  as 
the  Roman  Church  in  this  matter,  our  presence  in 
Mexico  would  be  of  little  good. 

In  April  the  Rev.  S.  W.  Siberts  and  wife  arrived 
to  join  the  mission.  In  July  the  first  baby  of  the 
Methodist  mission  came  to  gladden  the  home  of  the 
Cravers.  On  August  19  the  first  Quarterly  Confer- 
ence was  held,  at  which  time  Simon  Loza  was  licensed 
as  a  local  preacher,  the  first  fruits  of  our  work  in 
Guanajuato.  For  many  years  we  had  occasion  to 
thank  God  for  his  noble  life  and  work. 

Things  moved  smoothly  till  October  81,  when 
blind  fanatics  again  attacked  our  mission  house.  It 
was  on  Sunday  and  a  market  day.  At  a  given  signal 
about  three  thousand  people  from  the  market  rushed 
to  the  house,  pelting  it  with  stones  until  not  one 
window  glass  was  left  whole,  and  yelling  fiendishly, 
"Death  to  the  Protestants!"  They  attempted  to 
force  the  large  door,  but  because  of  rumors  con- 
nected with  the  change  of  government  the  mission- 
aries had  provided  themselves  with  a  supply  of  sun- 
dried  bricks,  with  which  they  hastily  barricaded  the 
door.  How  these  men  worked  may  be  imagined  when 
we  recall  that  behind  that  door  were  their  heroic 
wives,  each  with  a  young  child  in  her  arms.  While 
the  stones  were  flying  and  the  glass  crashing,  these 
devoted  women  sang,  "I  need  thee  every  hour."     He 

106 


GUANAJUATO 

whom  they  needed  was  not  unheeding.  The  five 
policemen  placed  by  the  chief  of  police  to  guard  the 
house  were  stricken  down,  but  word  reached  the 
governor  and  soon  a  force  of  soldiers  arrived.  The 
colonel  rode  into  the  crowd  advising  them  that  they 
had  three  minutes  in  which  to  disperse  before  he 
would  open  fire  with  a  cannon  he  had  just  planted  on 
the  corner.  This  prompt  governmental  action  estab- 
lished the  fact  that  the  Laws  of  Reform  were  not  a 
dead  letter  in  Guanajuato,  and  there  has  been  no 
violent  persecution  in  that  city  since. 

On  February  4,  1877,  ten  persons  were  received 
into  full  membership,  one  of  whom  was  a  woman, 
Dolores  Rodriguez,  who  had  attended  the  first  service 
held  in  Guanajuato  and  who  during  the  entire  year 
had  not  missed  one.  Her  son  Moses  was  the  first 
child  ever  baptized  by  a  Methodist  minister  in  that 
state.  Dr.  Butler  came  again  about  this  time  and 
preached  the  first  sermon  in  English  ever  heard  in 
Guanajuato.  In  May  Brother  Siberts  was  trans- 
ferred to  Miraflores,  which  left  only  the  Cravers  in 
the  city.  On  the  thirty-first  of  the  month  the  Cra- 
vers lost  their  first-born.  I  was  on  the  way  to  visit 
them,  but  owing  to  slow  diligence  travel  arrived  too 
late  for  the  funeral.  The  father  had  one  of  those 
sad  ordeals  which  come  occasionally  in  the  mission 
field,  in  having  no  colleague  to  officiate  and  to  com- 
fort. He  was  therefore  obliged  to  instruct  a  helper 
how  to  conduct  the  service  for  his  little  one.  This 
recalls   the  experience  of  Judson  in   Burma,  when 

107 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

he  was  obliged  to  officiate  at  the  burial  of  his  own 
daughter. 

During  my  visit  of  two  weeks  I  preached  every 
night  and  had  the  privilege  of  presiding  over  the 
first  love  feast,  which  Brother  Craver  wrote  of  as  a 
"Most  precious  and  heart-cheering  occasion  as  we 
saw  the  manifestations  of  God's  saving  grace  in 
those  for  whom  we  had  labored."  In  February, 
1877,  a  day  school  was  opened  with  an  average  at- 
tendance of  about  twenty.  In  July  a  Temperance 
Society  was  organized,  probably  the  first  in  the  re- 
public. In  1879  Mr.  Craver  and  Superintendent 
Drees  renewed  the  appeal  for  the  purchase  of  prop- 
erty so  that  the  mission  might  have  a  permanent 
home.  Bishop  Haven  set  forth  the  appeal  before 
the  General  Missionary  Committee,  explaining  that 
rented  property  where  services  had  been  led  for  three 
years  was  a  corral,  or  barnyard,  inconveniently 
located.  He  pleaded  for  the  $10,000  to  move  the 
church  out  of  the  barnyard.  Dr.  Daniel  Curry 
called  out,  "Christ  was  born  in  a  stable,  and  you 
need  not  feel  so  bad  about  Guanajuato."  As  quick 
as  a  flash  Bishop  Haven  sprang  to  his  feet  and  cried 
out,  "Yes,  Christ  was  born  in  a  stable,  but  he  did 
not  stay  there  long !"     The  money  was  voted. 

Bishop  Harris  came  early  in  1880  and  tried  to 
secure  the  property  in  Guanajuato  previously  agreed 
upon.  One  Saturday  they  went  to  the  notary's  office 
to  meet  the  owner,  a  woman,  to  pay  the  money  and 
receive  the  title,  when  she  said  that  her  father  con- 

108 


GUANAJUATO 

fcssor  had  forbidden  the  sale  to  Protestants.  The 
missionary  party  was  deeply  disappointed.  Early 
Sunday  morning  the  notary  came  to  the  mission 
house  and  informed  them  that  he  had  induced  the 
woman  to  sign  if  they  would  come  at  once  to  the 
office.  Bishop  Harris  replied  that  he  had  never 
transacted  business  on  Sunday  and  did  not  purpose 
to  violate  this  rule  even  in  Mexico.  The  notary  said 
that  if  the  woman  saw  her  father  confessor  that 
day,  she  would  not  sign  on  the  morrow.  The 
bishop  remained  firm,  and  Sunday  passed  with  no 
little  anxiety  in  the  minds  of  the  missionaries.  But 
time  and  strength  were  given  to  the  service,  and  on 
Monday  a  message  came  that  the  woman  would  meet 
them  at  the  notary's  office.  Thus  the  property  was 
acquired  and  is  being  used  to-day,  and  our  people 
are  no  longer  called  "The  barnyard  Christians." 
The  chapel  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God  on 
October  24,  and  gave  our  cause  a  larger  measure  of 
influence  in  that  important  city. 

About  this  time  a  second  congregation  was  gath- 
ered in  San  Pablo,  and  occasional  services  were  held 
in  Marfil,  La  Luz,  and  Silao,  where  Pastor  Doroteo 
Mendoza  was  the  object  of  persecutions  and  finally 
was  cast  into  prison  on  false  charges,  an  appeal  to 
the  central  government  being  necessary  to  secure  his 
release.  In  1883  the  missionary  moved  his  residence 
to  Silao,  largely  because  of  the  state  of  his  health, 
but  also  because  the  completion  of  the  railway  made 
it  a  more  convenient  center.     The  opening  of  the 

109 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

territory  by  the  railroad  gave  us  many  advantages, 
but  served  to  deplete  the  Guanajuato  congregation. 
Mining  interests  fell  off  for  awhile,  and  often  the 
first  people  discharged  were  Protestants,  who  then 
had  to  migrate  to  other  camps.  Because  of  this 
condition  we  lost  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  from 
attendance ;  but  our  membership  grew  slowly.  In 
1884  Mr.  Craver  went  to  Mexico  City  and  the  Rev. 
Duston  Kemble  was  in  charge  of  the  circuit.  The 
Rev.  Conrado  Gamboa,  pastor  at  Silao,  started  out 
about  four  o'clock  one  morning  for  Cueramaro  for 
a  preaching  service,  accompanied  by  the  chapel 
keeper.  A  mile  out  of  town  they  were  set  upon  by 
three  armed  men,  who,  like  themselves,  were  on  horse- 
back. The  men  fired,  killing  the  chapel  keeper  in- 
stantly and  shooting  Gamboa  through  the  right 
lung.  Three  hours  passed  before  he  was  brought 
home,  supposedly  dying.  Three  surgeons  pro- 
nounced the  case  hopeless,  but  prayer  was  answered 
in  his  behalf,  and  though  his  sufferings  were  great, 
he  lived  to  labor  for  eight  years  longer.  The  assail- 
ants were  supposed  to  be  men  who  the  previous  night 
had  attempted  to  disturb  the  service  while  Gamboa 
was  preaching.  One  of  them  was  afterward  recog- 
nized by  the  police  and  shot.  Six  months  later  a 
member  of  this  congregation  was  stabbed  by  a 
fanatic  who  subsequently  boasted  of  having  killed 
a  Protestant.  He  was  arrested,  but  his  Roman 
Catholic  neighbors  refused  to  testify  against  him. 
Our  mission  was  organized  into  an  Annual  Con- 
110 


GUANAJUATO 

ference  in  1885,  with  but  one  district,  and  C.  W. 
Drees  was  appointed  presiding  elder.  The  next  year 
three  districts  were  formed,  S.  P.  Craver  being  ap- 
pointed to  the  Northern  District,  his  original  field. 
By  1887  the  Guanajuato  chapel  was  too  small  for 
the  attendance.  In  1888,  under  the  pastorate  of  the 
Rev.  L.  C.  Smith,  the  work  advanced  considerably. 
Revival  services  resulted  not  only  in  new  acquisitions 
but  in  improving  the  religious  life  of  the  entire  con- 
gregation. This  year  brought  Miss  A.  M.  Rodgers 
to  the  work  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society.  Under  her  management  the  school  for 
girls  widened  its  sphere  of  usefulness.  After  five 
years  of  faithful  service  she  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Dwight  Furness,  and  they  have  been  ever  since  among 
the  most  helpful  friends  of  our  church. 

In  1890  Brother  Smith  itinerated  extensively 
through  the  state  and  held  services  in  more  than 
twenty  towns,  in  some  of  which  as  many  as  two  hun- 
dred gladly  heard  the  word.  Later  he  made  an  evan- 
gelistic tour  through  the  states  of  Hidalgo  and  Vera 
Cruz,  going  as  far  as  Tuxpan  on  the  Gulf  Coast. 
Hundreds  heard  the  gospel  for  the  first  time,  and 
scores  of  the  towns  visited  are  now  periodically  min- 
istered to  by  our  preachers.  Besides  these  workers, 
Brothers  Tomas  Garcia,  Alfonso  Herrera,  Miguel 
Garza,  Jose  Velasco,  J.  W.  Miller,  and  Cresencio 
Osorio  have  all  contributed  to  make  Methodism  what 
it  is  to-day  in  Guanajuato.  Brother  Garcia's  story 
is  pathetic.    On  February  3  he  was  ordained  as  elder 

111 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

by  Bishop  Moore,  and  twelve  days  later  he  went  to 
the  rescue  of  some  of  our  school  girls  who  were  being 
molested  by  an  intoxicated  policeman,  who,  when 
Garcia  attempted  to  protect  them,  fired  on  him. 
That  night  our  brother  died,  but  not  till  he  had 
prayed  for  his  murderer.  On  his  desk  was  found 
a  translation  of  Fanny  Crosby's  beautiful  hymn, 
"Saved  by  Grace,"  which  contains  the  lines, 

"  But  O,  the  joy  when  I  shall  wake 
Within  the  palace  of  the  King." 

This  hymn  was  given  a  place  in  our  new  Hymnal 
issued  by  the  Tract  Society. 

Pastor  Osorio  has  a  preaching  place  at  the  mining 
camp  of  Peregrina,  ten  miles  from  the  city.  The 
road  is  a  rugged  mountain  path  requiring  about 
three  hours  for  a  horseback  climb.  During  the  late 
revolution  I  found  that  the  pastor  had  discarded 
his  horse  and  was  making  his  weekly  visit  on  foot. 
He  said  that  if  he  went  on  horseback  the  rebels 
might  think  that  he  had  money,  so  he  put  on  the 
oldest  clothes  he  possessed  and  no  one  molested 
him. 

Leon  is  a  city  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants, about  twenty  miles  from  Guanajuato.  As 
early  as  1878  we  commenced  work  here,  but  the  fol- 
lowing year  a  reduced  appropriation  caused  us  to 
abandon  it.  Now  we  have  a  good  chapel  and  a  meas- 
ure of  success.  We  have  not  treated  this  appoint- 
ment with  the  consideration  it  deserves.     A  mission- 

112 


Niksks,  Hospital  of  the  Goon  Samaritan,  Guanajuato 


GUANAJUATO 

ary,  Mexican  pastor,  and  educational  work  should 
be  granted. 

These  people  have  been  under  the  Romish  influence 
for  three  hundred  years  and  are  victims  of  crass 
fanaticism  and  superstition.  For  instance,  when 
work  was  attempted  in  Irapuato — as  mediaeval  a 
city  as  can  be  found  on  this  continent — a  riot  ensued 
which  was  a  disgrace.  A  priest  incited  the  people 
publicly  against  the  "heretics"  and  had  handbills 
circulated  for  that  purpose.  One  of  these  handbills 
lies  on  my  table  and  I  quote  from  it:  "Beware  of 
entering  this  house,  because  these  harlots  and  their 
race  are  condemned.  Death  to  Protestantism !  War 
on  them !"  Under  such  provocation  of  their  reli- 
gious leaders  it  is  no  cause  for  wonder  that  poor 
ignorant  people  rose  and  attempted  to  exterminate 
the  Protestants.  All,  however,  escaped  with  their 
lives,  but  some  of  their  property  and  Bibles  were 
publicly  burned.  For  every  Bible  thus  destroyed 
hundreds  of  copies  have  since  been  distributed 
throughout  the  state. 

The  school  for  girls  under  Miss  Van  Dorsten 
reached,  in  1895,  an  enrollment  of  one  hundred  and 
thirteen,  and  the  school  for  boys  under  Brother 
Avila  recorded  ninety-seven.  A  good  revival  spirit 
was  the  result  of  a  workers'  meeting,  and  Dr.  W.  C. 
Evans  for  a  year  made  his  enthusiastic  leadership 
felt.  In  the  Conference  of  1898  this  territory  was 
added  to  the  Central  District,  which  brought  me  into 
close  touch  with  the  Guanajuato  work  for  six  years. 

113 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IX  MEXICO 

In  ISiH  the  growth  of  the  work  justified  the  pur- 
chase of  additional  property.     It  is  nearly  a  mile 

from  the  rir>t  purchase  and  was  formerly  a  silver 
reduction  mill,  covering  nearly  a  city  block.  About 
one  third  of  the  land  was  transferred  to  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society,  which  constructed  a 
splendid  school  building  ami  missionaries*  home.  It 
is  a  memorial  to  Mary  Ann  Cox,  oi  Maiden,  Massa- 
chusetts, from  whose  estate  we  received  $5,000  gold, 
for  initial  expenses.  The  present  value  of  the 
Woman's  property  is  about  $80,000  silver.  Here. 
in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned,  have  faith- 
fully labored  the  Misses  Effa  M.  Dunmore,  Alice 
Moore,  Ella  Payne,  the  Cook  sisters,  and  Edith  Sal- 
mans. Miss  Dora  Gladen  is  at  present  in  charge. 
Not  long  since  the  government  inspector,  after  a 
visit  to  the  institution,  declared  it  to  be  a  model 
school.  Its  closing  exercises  are  graced  each  year 
with  the  presence  of  the  governor  of  the  state.  The 
latest  enrollment  shows  one  hundred  and  eighty-three 
children,  of  whom  some  sixty  are  boarding  pupils. 
The  good  influence  of  the  school  is  widening  each 
year. 

On  the  lot  adjoining  the  girls'  school  a  convention 
hall  was  erected  a  few  years  ago  largely  with  local 
help,  primarily  to  accommodate  the  Young  People's 
National  Convention.  It  has  since  been  used  by  our 
tnd  Methodist  Church,  and  frequently  serves  for 
popular  lectures  given  by  Dr.  Salmans  or  visiting 
friends.      The  lectures  deal  with  travel,  temperance, 

114 


GUANAJUATO 

hygiene,  and  kindred  topics,  and  many  times  draw 
large  numbers  of  people  who  could  not  be  induced  to 
enter  a  Protestant  church.  The  rest  of  the  prop- 
erty is  occupied  by  a  medical  plant  which  has  been 
slowly  but  steadily  growing  under  the  wise  manage- 
ment of  Dr.  Levi  B.  Salmans  since  October  81,  1H99, 
though  the  medical  work  originated  with  his  arrival 
in  Guanajuato  in  1891.  On  that  date  a  hospital  was 
opened  with  eleven  beds.  Since  then  the  building  has 
been  enlarged  till  there  are  now  sixteen  rooms  with 
thirty  beds.  Still  later  improvements  about  to  be 
undertaken  will  further  increase  the  capacity  of  the 
hospital.  Here  people  of  all  creeds  or  no  creeds  at 
all  and  of  any  social  condition  whatsoever  are  re- 
ceived. Pay  is  taken  when  it  can  be  given,  but  the 
want  of  money  is  no  bar  to  skillful  and  careful  atten- 
tion. The  installation  of  electric  lights,  heat,  and 
water  has  put  our  hospital  ahead  of  any  other  insti- 
tution of  its  kind  in  that  part  of  the  country.  About 
twice  a  week  dispensary  work  is  conducted  for  the 
benefit  of  the  poor  and  hundreds  are  sometimes 
treated  in  a  single  week.  When  the  hour  comes  a 
brief  religious  service  is  conducted,  generally  by 
Dr.  Salmans  himself,  after  which  he  and  his  assist- 
ants patiently  look  into  every  case.  Over  eighty-six 
thousand  people  have  been  treated  by  our  doctors 
since  this  work  began. 

In  1901  the  Good  Samaritan  Association  was  in- 
corporated under  the  laws  controlling  private  be- 
nevolent  institutions.      The   principal    benefit   from 

115 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

such  incorporation  is  that  it  gives  the  association 
legal  standing  and  makes  it  possible  for  bequests  to 
be  made  by  its  friends.  Under  the  laws  of  Mexico 
no  religious  corporation  can  receive  legacies.  The 
Missionary  Society  leases  the  property  to  the  Good 
Samaritan  Association,  but  with  the  proviso  that 
if  at  any  time  the  work  done  or  the  influence  ex- 
erted is  not  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  Society,  a 
six  months'  notice  is  all  that  is  needed  to  terminate 
the  relationship.  However,  the  danger  of  such  dis- 
satisfaction is  slight,  since  Methodists  largely  domi- 
nate the  Junta,  or  Board.  This  Guanajuato  mis- 
sion plant,  with  its  medical,  educational,  and  evan- 
gelistic work,  is  one  of  the  busiest  and  most  effective 
missionary  centers  in  our  world-wide  Methodist 
parish,  and  its  influence  goes  throughout  the  entire 
state. 

Speaking  of  the  hospital,  Dr.  Salmans  says :  "The 
moral  effect  of  this  work  has  been  extremely  satis- 
factory. The  effect  on  the  fanaticism  and  intoler- 
ance in  the  state  of  Guanajuato  has  been  notable, 
and  has  not  been  limited  to  the  six  cities  in  which 
the  greater  part  of  our  practice  has  been  had,  but 
has  been  extended  over  the  whole  territory  of  the 
state.  In  illustration  of  this  fact  we  could  call  forth 
an  endless  number  of  illustrative  cases  from  all 
classes  of  society." 

Considerable  medical  work  has  been  carried  on  in 
past  years  in  Leon,  Silao,  Pozos,  and  other  towns 
of  the  state.     Dr.  George  B.  Hyde  did  efficient  work 

116 


GUANAJUATO 

in  Silao,  and  Dr.  Cartwright  in  Leon.  Dr.  Toral, 
Dr.  Pablo  del  Rio,  Dr.  Roby,  Dr.  Parish,  Dr.  Fos- 
ter, and  others  have  been  connected  with  the  work 
at  different  stages  of  its  history.  In  1911  Dr.  Sal- 
mans traveled  extensively  throughout  the  state  of 
Guanajuato  lecturing  on  temperance,  hygiene,  and 
modern  medical  practice.  This  venture  resulted  in 
bringing  patients  to  the  hospital  and  children  to  our 
school.  To-day  thousands  of  people  in  that  state 
respect  and  honor  the  Methodists,  whereas  forty 
years  ago  not  one  of  its  sons  knew  anything  about 
us,  unless  it  was  to  hate  us. 


117 


CHAPTER  XI 

QUERETARO— CITY  OF  CHURCHES 

Nearly  four  hundred  years  have  passed  since  the 
viceroy  Velasco  made  grants  of  land  in  this  rich 
vallev,  but  the  city  was  not  chartered  till  1655.  Be- 
fore the  coming  of  the  Spaniards  Moctezuma  I  had 
built  fortifications  on  the  hills  in  this,  his  northern 
frontier,  to  protect  his  people  from  the  frequent  in- 
cursions of  his  enemies,  the  Chichemecas.  This  out- 
post was  a  great  pleasure  resort,  as  when  not  at 
Avar  the  people  were  much  given  to  public  amuse- 
ment. The  name  signifies  "The  Ball  Ground."  Some 
of  the  public  sports  were  said  to  be  rather  crude, 
such  as,  for  example,  nude  promiscuous  bathing  in 
the  river.  After  the  Spaniards  came  ridiculous 
representations  of  the  Christians  were  often  pre- 
sented. So  fascinated  were  the  Indians  by  these 
festivals  that  they  would  sell  their  goods  to  procure 
money  to  appear  in  great  display.  The  early  friars 
introduced  reforms  and  imposed  religious  duties, 
but  these  lacked  the  characteristics  of  true  spiritual 
life.  As  generations  passed,  however,  the  new  reli- 
gion dominated  the  people  until  they  developed  a 
frenzied  devotion  as  extreme  as  that  of  their  pagan 
system. 

As  early   as   1666  a   Franciscan  monastery  was 

118 


QUERETARO 

established  in  Queretaro,  with  a  sumptuous  church 
on  which  great  sums  of  money  were  lavished.  Here, 
as  elsewhere  in  Mexico,  fortunes  were  spent  in  the 
embellishment  of  the  interiors  of  the  churches  as  well 
as  the  edifice  in  order  to  attract  the  eye  of  the  indi- 
genous peoples.  So  many  were  erected  in  this  city 
that  it  has  come  to  be  known  as  the  City  of  Churches, 
and  outside  of  the  cathedrals  in  Mexico  City  and 
Puebla  and  the  Santo  Domingo  Church  in  Oaxaca, 
none  surpass  these  in  magnificence.  It  is  said  that 
to-day  even,  Queretaro,  with  its  forty  thousand 
inhabitants,  has  more  churches  than  schoolhouses 
and  more  priests  than  school  children. 

To  this  stanchest  of  ecclesiastical  cities  of  the 
land  came  Maximilian,  to  make  his  last  stand.  Gen- 
eral Escobar  declared  as  he  entered  that  "Posterity 
would  doubtless  bestow  on  him  the  glorious  title  of 
'Maximilian  the  Great.'  "  But  Prince  Salm  Salm 
of  his  staff  called  attention  at  the  time  to  the  fact 
that  when  the  royal  party  entered  the  city  the  em- 
peror's horse  was  seen  to  stumble ;  and  this,  the  some- 
what superstitious  prince  declared,  was  enough  to 
settle  his  fate!  Queretaro,  which  is  the  cradle  of 
Mexican  independence,  became  the  grave  of  what  the 
Mexicans  call  "The  Second  Empire." 

One  short  decade  later  others  entered  Queretaro 
representing  a  cause  which,  unlike  the  ill-conceived 
papal  intrigue,  will  not  be  overthrown.  Methodism 
represents  that  which  thrives  in  all  climes  and  de- 
spite all  human  contingencies.     On  my  first  journey 

119 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

into  the  interior  in  1877  I  arrived  in  this  city  after 
a  stage  ride  of  twelve  hours  and  walked  through  the 
streets  a  stranger,  finding  no  one  with  whom  to 
speak.  Only  a  few  years  previous  to  this  a  mission- 
ary made  a  brief  visit  and  attempted  to  distribute 
tracts,  but  had  been  mobbed,  and  was  compelled  to 
take  refuge  in  a  Catholic  church,  and  probably 
would  have  been  killed  but  for  the  intervention  of 
Mr.  Franco.  In  1888  Felipe  N.  Cordova  had  hardly 
secured  a  house  and  made  himself  known  when  the 
home  was  besieged,  and  all  sorts  of  slanderous  re- 
ports were  circulated.  He  stood  firm  until,  on  the 
arrival  of  the  Rev.  A.  W.  Greenman,  a  little  com- 
pany was  gathered,  some  of  whom  were  courageous 
enough  to  openly  confess  Christ.  In  1881  premedi- 
tated persecutions  took  on  a  violent  form.  The 
Bishop  of  Queretaro  issued  a  pastoral  letter  to  be 
read  in  the  churches  the  language  of  which  was  art- 
fully designed  to  stir  up  popular  hatred.  The  faith- 
ful were  reminded  that  five  years  previously  Mr. 
Phillips  had  been  mobbed  and  almost  killed.  The 
adroit  wording  was  practically  an  indication  that 
the  bishop  would  not  look  with  disfavor  on  a  similar 
attempt.  Mr.  Greenman's  name  and  address  were 
given,  as  if  to  aid.  Soon  after  the  reading  of  this 
document  groups  of  people  gathered  in  front  of 
Mr.  Greenman's  house  every  day  for  a  week.  In 
view  of  such  hostile  manifestations  an  appeal  was 
sent  to  the  governor.  After  Mass  on  Sunday,  April 
3,  a  mob  of  about  two  thousand  persons  attacked 

120 


QUERETARO 

the  house.  Windows  were  broken  and  attempts  made 
to  break  down  the  heavy,  well-barred  door.  For  four 
hours  "Death  to  the  Protestants !"  and  other  expres- 
sions not  fit  to  print  were  shouted  ere  the  mounted 
soldiers  arrived  and  dispersed  the  mob.  The  gov- 
ernor of  the  state  advised  the  missionaries  that  he 
was  not  able  to  protect  them  and  counseled  their 
leaving.  It  was,  therefore,  considered  best  for  all 
to  retire  for  a  time.  The  matter  was  taken  up  with 
the  federal  government,  which  finally  made  it  clear 
to  the  state  authorities  that  the  Laws  of  Reform 
were  to  be  respected. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  Liberal  press  of  the 
capital,  notably  El  Monitor,  and  La  Patria,  called 
the  attention  of  the  government  and  the  public  to 
the  fact  that  there  seemed  to  be  a  concerted  action 
on  the  part  of  the  clergy  to  disregard  the  Laws  of 
Reform  by  persecuting  the  Protestants  throughout 
the  country.  The  national  Congress  took  up  the 
matter  and  called  upon  the  minister  of  the  interior 
for  a  report  on  the  Queretaro  affair.  Within  three 
months  our  missionaries  were  again  in  the  city  of 
Queretaro,  and  on  July  3  public  services  were  held 
without  any  disturbance.  For  two  years  there  was 
little  growth,  those  who  came  to  us  being  largely 
from  other  states.  In  1882  a  well-located  property 
was  secured,  a  chapel  dedicated  in  1883,  and  the 
congregation  grew  steadily.  On  September  1  of 
that  year  the  bishop  issued  another  pastoral,  the 
result  of  which  was  that  a  mob  came  and  stoned  the 

121 


METHODIST  EriSCOrAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

mission  house,  but  the  prompt  arrival  of  troops  pre- 
vented serious  consequences.  In  the  meantime  the 
missionary  and  his  helpers  visited  several  nearby 
towns,  where  people  were  found  anxious  to  hear  the 
gospel  message.  In  San  Juan  del  Rio,  Celaya,  and 
San  Luis  de  la  Paz  permanent  congregations  were 
established. 

In  1884?  the  Catholic  curate  and  the  missionary 
carried  on  a  printed  public  discussion.  The  public 
mind  was  somewhat  influenced  thereby,  but  our  mis- 
sion as  a  whole  has  given  but  slight  attention  to 
polemics,  for  we  doubt  that  much  permanent  good 
comes  from  such  endeavor.  In  this  same  year  a 
serious  riot  occurred  in  Celeya.  The  priest  made 
inflammatory  appeals  to  the  people,  and  when  pro- 
tection was  requested  by  the  Protestants  it  was  not 
forthcoming.  A  mob  gathered  to  attack  the  house 
where  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  O.  Torres,  and  the  mis- 
sionary were  staying,  and  but  for  the  arrival  of 
troops  both  might  have  been  murdered.  In  1889 
we  purchased  property  in  this  city  of  thirty  thou- 
sand people  and  the  work  extended  to  Cortazar. 

The  manifest  opposition  in  Queretaro  seemed  at 
last  to  quiet  down,  and  the  church  was  organized 
with  a  Quarterly  Conference.  At  a  meeting  in  May 
a  subscription  of  $125  was  made  toward  the  building 
of  a  church  in  Cortazar,  and  this,  together  with  a 
special  grant  from  the  Board  of  $900,  sufficed  to 
finish  the  edifice,  which  was  dedicated  by  Bishop 
Bowman  in  1888.     In  Guaje  a  church  was  recently 

122 


QUERETARO 

made  possible  by  the  generosity  of  a  friend  in  Cali- 
fornia. In  the  little  farming  settlement  of  Cipres 
we  found  a  small  but  sincere  group  of  people  who 
entered  heartily  into  genuine  religious  life,  and  from 
that  little  nucleus  God  has  already  called  three 
preachers  and  two  teachers  into  his  work.  The 
Osorios  are  known  and  loved  by  us  all.  In  those 
earl}'  days  some  of  the  young  men,  after  working  all 
day  in  the  field,  would  walk  several  miles  to  attend 
an  evening  meeting,  rising  betimes  next  morning  to 
return  to  their  labors. 

For  some  years  our  efforts  in  Queretaro  were  with- 
out marked  success,  due  to  the  continued  fanaticism 
of  the  populace.  In  1891  another  assault  was 
made  on  our  mission  house,  this  time  the  fanatics 
using  petroleum  to  set  the  building  on  fire.  The 
damage  was  slight  and  our  workers  never  lost  faith 
in  the  ultimate  triumph.  We  have  not  had  many 
doubting  Thomases  among  our  missionaries  in  this 
country.  A  day  school  was  attempted,  which  met 
with  only  slight  success.  In  1895  a  boarding  and 
day  school  was  opened  which  has  met  with  excellent 
results.  The  Rev.  B.  N.  Velasco  had  at  last  made  a 
decided  impression  on  the  community.  Another  pas- 
toral by  the  aforesaid  Romanist  bishop  with  doubt- 
less the  same  intent,  elicited  comparatively  little 
response,  evidencing  the  influence  of  our  work.  But 
our  adversaries  were  not  satisfied.  Two  young  men 
were  coming  out  of  the  mission  house  one  day  in 
1898  reading  some  of  our  tracts.     They  were  ar- 

123 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

rested  and  told  that  they  must  not  read  such  publi- 
cations, and,  but  for  the  energetic  efforts  of  our 
pastor,  they  would  have  gone  to  prison.  Soon  after 
this  occurrence  the  chief  of  police  called  on  Dr.  Ve- 
lasco  and  insisted  that  he  remove  from  the  door  a 
bulletin  board  on  which  he  had  placed  on  view  the 
Abogado  Cristiano,  giving  as  his  reason  for  making 
the  request  that  the  governor  did  not  want  the  peo- 
ple of  Catholic  Queretaro  to  have  such  teachings 
within  their  reach.  Dr.  Velasco  was  well  versed  in 
the  law,  so  he  quietly  insisted  that  he  knew  his  rights. 
Finally  the  chief  withdrew  his  demand.  The  same 
year  revival  services  resulted  in  seventeen  accessions, 
and  soon  after  a  Mexican  gentleman  who  was  in- 
duced to  attend  the  closing  exercises  of  the  school 
was  so  favorably  impressed  that  unsolicited  he  gave 
one  hundred  dollars  to  assist  in  enlarging  the  build- 
ing. Bishop  McCabe  visited  the  city  and,  seeing  the 
needs,  promised  the  necessary  funds  for  the  exten- 
sion of  the  building,  which  upon  completion  received 
the  name  of  McCabe  Hall. 

In  1904*  further  improvements  were  made  largely 
through  a  generous  donation  from  Dr.  W.  I.  Haven, 
secretary  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  son  of  the 
first  bishop  of  our  church  to  visit  the  field.  This 
year  also  saw  a  large  increase  in  self-support  and 
nineteen  of  the  students  were  converted.  The  follow- 
ing year  there  were  eighty-seven  conversions.  The 
tide  seemed  to  have  turned  toward  permanent  success. 
Many  of  the  Christian  students  became  evangelists, 

124- 


QUERETARO 

carrying  the  good  news  to  other  towns  and  large 
estates  on  which  their  families  lived  as  laborers. 
They  spent  their  Sunday  afternoons  distributing 
religious  literature,  visiting  barracks,  jails,  and  hos- 
pitals. Dr.  Velasco,  besides  serving  as  president  of 
the  institute,  was  also  presiding  elder,  and  for  six 
years  performed  double  duty,  journeying  by  rail, 
stagecoach,  on  horse  or  mule  back,  or  on  foot  over 
rough  mountain  roads,  in  order  that  he  might  preach 
to  hungry  hearts. 

Another  evidence  that  our  school  is  gaining  in 
influence  is  that  while  in  the  early  years  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  find  friendly  merchants,  now  they  are  glad 
to  furnish -supplies,  even  offering  to  furnish  these  to 
be  paid  for  when  convenient.  It  is  a  notable  fact 
also  that  more  than  half  of  the  students  come  from 
Catholic  families.  Over  eight  hundred  boys  have 
been  educated  in  this  Queretaro  school. 

On  November  19,  1914,  a  mob  attacked  the  mis- 
sion house  in  an  onslaught  so  sudden  and  unexpected 
that  our  people  barely  escaped  with  their  lives. 
Brother  Chagoyan  was  seriously  wounded  and  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Velasco  suffered  from  the  shock.  The 
doors  were  broken  down  and  hundreds  rushed  into 
the  church,  the  dwelling,  and  the  school  to  plunder. 
What  the  mad  people  could  not  carry  off  they  burned 
in  the  street.  An  attempt  was  made  to  fire  the  build- 
ing. It  is  most  remarkable  that  as  soon  as  the  better 
class  of  townspeople  realized  what  was  going  on 
they  organized  themselves,  drove  away  the  fanatics, 

125 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

and  extinguished  the  fire.  This  despicable  work  oc- 
curred in  revolutionary  times,  the  adversaries  taking 
advantage  of  the  moment  between  the  going  out  and 
the  coming  in  of  the  contending  forces,  when  they 
knew  that  there  were  no  authorities  to  prevent  their 
depredations.  As  soon  as  the  Constitutionalist 
army  entered  the  city  the  leaders  took  cognizance  of 
the  assault  and  promised  to  repair  all  damage. 

The  pastor  reports  an  interesting  case  of  a  couple 
in  Queretaro  who  received  the  gospel  with  such  joy 
that  they  immediately  destroyed  the  images  they 
formerly  worshiped.  This  man  and  his  wife  are  now 
worthy  members  of  the  church,  and  through  their 
influence  others  have  come  into  the  fold. 

Brother  Magdaleno  Constantino,  pastor  at  Ce- 
laya,  remained  in  this  city  through  the  terrible 
battles  which  nearly  destroyed  it  in  April,  1915.  A 
large  number  of  Catholic  people  sought  refuge  in 
the  Monastery  of  San  Agustin,  near  our  mission 
house,  but  were  refused  entrance.  Our  pastor  opened 
the  door  of  his  home  and  made  them  welcome  therein. 
They  were  in  comparative  safety  on  account  of  the 
heavy  walls  of  the  mission  house.  During  their  stay 
Brother  Constantino  made  known  the  good  tidings 
to  his  Catholic  visitors,  and  now  many  who  were 
formerly  our  enemies  are  among  our  best  friends. 

The  Spanish  viceroy  who  divided  up  the  lands  of 
this  beautiful  valley  in  the  sixteenth  century  was 
named  Velasco.  His  work  endures  though  his  memory 
is  not  beloved. 

126 


QUERrlTARO 

The  Methodist  pastor  who  lived  longest  in  Quere- 
taro  and  who  exerted  the  greatest  influence  for  good 
on  the  people  of  that  city  was  the  Rev.  B.  N.  Ve- 
lasco.  His  influence  for  good  on  the  people  of  this 
region,  as  well  as  his  extraordinarily  successful 
school,  will  long  endure  in  the  characters  of  his 
pupils.  This  good  man  has  recently  gone  to  his 
reward,  and  the  Mexico  Conference  has  shown  its 
recognition  of  his  services  by  naming  the  school  for 
him,  the  founder  and  for  many  years  the  principal. 


127 


CHAPTER  XII 

OAXACA— LAND  OF  ANCIENT  KINGS  AND 
MODERN  PRESIDENTS 

In  eleven  states  of  this  republic  the  capital  carries 
the  same  name  as  the  state.  For  readers  in  the 
United  States  I  may  admit  that  the  original  way  to 
write  the  name  was  "Huaxyacac."  The  city  of 
Oaxaca  (pronounced  Oa-ha-ka)  is  about  three  hun- 
dred miles  southeast  of  Mexico  City,  and  has  over 
thirty-five  thousand  inhabitants.  Its  altitude  is 
about  five  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and  as  the 
mercury  ranges  from  eighty  and  eighty-five  degrees 
Fahrenheit  the  climate  is  superb  all  the  year.  This 
state  has  many  points  of  interest.  Seventeen  lan- 
guages, in  addition  to  Spanish,  are  spoken  within  its 
borders.  The  Zapotecs  and  Mijes  are  very  ancient 
peoples.  Some  historians  think  that  the  noble  Zapo- 
tecs, who  principally  dominate  the  state,  were  the 
original  settlers.  Certainly  they  and  the  Mijes 
claim  that  they  were  not  conquered  by  the  Spaniards, 
but  that,  believing  them  to  be  the  long-expected 
white  men  from  the  East  whom  the  gods  designed 
should  come  to  rule  their  land,  they  sent  emissaries 
with  offers  of  adherence,  which  were,  of  course, 
readily  accepted.  Friar  Jose  Antonio  Gay  believes 
that  these  people  came  from  Asia  about  the  middle 

128 


OAXACA 

of  the  second  century.  Others  connect  them  with 
the  descendants  of  the  people  who  built  Solomon's 
Temple.  Friar  Gay  makes  out  a  plausible  argument 
and  also  connects  them  with  the  traditions  of  the 
visit  of  Saint  Thomas  to  Mexico,  and  even  avers 
that  Quetzalcoatl  might  have  been  Saint  Thomas. 
Quetzalcoatl  is  described  by  all  Mexican  historians 
as  a  white  man.  If  the  saint  had  been  a  Syrian,  it 
is  hardly  likely  that  he  would  have  been  described 
as  white.  Also,  if  there  is  truth  in  the  tradition  that 
makes  Saint  Thomas  the  founder  of  Christianity  in 
India,  it  is  hardly  probable  that  he  had  time  to 
travel  in  Mexico.  It  is  pointed  out  that  the  Zapo- 
tecs  say  that  the  name  "Queztalcoatl"  is  equivalent 
to  "Didymus."  In  further  support  of  the  theory  of 
Saint  Thomas  having  been  in  Oaxaca  they  assert 
that  the  cross  is  found  cut  in  the  rocks,  and  one  such 
is  called  La  Roca  de  Santo  Tomas.  But  the  cross 
on  Mexico's  ancient  monuments  is  more  like  the 
Greek  or  Saint  Andrew's  cross  than  the  Latin  em- 
blem. We  know  also  that  the  ancient  Mexicans  used 
a  sign  like  unto  it  as  a  symbol  in  astronomy  and 
chronology. 

The  historic  ruins  of  Mitla  and  Alban  are  the 
mystery  of  centuries  agone,  or,  as  the  Spanish  puts 
it,  their  birth  dates  have  been  "lost  in  the  night  of 
time."  To  turn  to  present-day  matters,  we  know 
that  Oaxaca  State  is  rich  in  gold,  silver,  copper, 
lead,  iron,  and  onyx.  It  has  furnished  this  nation 
with   some   of  the  most   conspicuous   characters   of 

129 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

Mexican  national  life  during  the  past  fifty  years — 
Benito  Juarez,  Porfirio  Diaz,  and  others.  The 
Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  with  its  railway,  which 
Humboldt  declared  would  some  day  become  the  bridge 
of  world's  commerce,  lies  mostly  in  this  state.  Above 
all,  here  are  a  million  souls  for  whom  Christ  died, 
most  of  whom  have  never  had  an  opportunity  to 
know  the  real  meaning  of  that  death.  God's  provi- 
dence seems  to  beckon  us  into  this  field.  The  state 
was  visited  in  the  seventies  by  a  Quaker  named  John 
William  Butler,  agent  of  the  British  Bible  Society. 
As  a  result  of  his  visit  the  Evangelical  Society  of 
Oaxaca  was  organized  in  the  house  of  Manuel  M. 
Pena.  In  an  old  document  is  stated  the  object  of 
the  Society:  "To  organize  an  Evangelical  Society  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  implore  the  grace  of  God 
that  in  us  he  may  fulfill  his  promises :  'Where  two 
or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my  name,  there 
am  I  in  the  midst  of  them,'  and  'All  things,  whatso- 
ever ye  shall  ask  in  prayer  believing,  ye  shall  re- 
ceive.' "  This  was  drawn  up  July  1,  1871.  Manuel 
Pena  was  elected  president,  Feliz  Angulo  vice-presi- 
dent, and  Tomas  Sanches  secretary.  The  meetings 
were  very  simple,  consisting  of  prayer,  reading  of 
the  Scriptures,  and  exhortations  by  any  who  felt 
moved  by  the  Spirit.  Evidently,  they  were  well  in- 
structed by  the  Quaker  agent,  who  not  only  in 
Oaxaca  but  in  other  sections  did  much  good.  Six- 
teen years  later  the  surviving  members  of  this  so- 
ciety joined  our  church. 

130 


OAXACA 

In  1880  we  entered  this  field  for  a  time,  but  with- 
drew until  1887,  when  an  earnest  appeal  came  to 
us  from  four  congregations  which  were  struggling 
to  maintain  services.  The  Rev.  P.  F.  Valderrama 
was  sent  to  report  conditions,  and  the  following 
January  Jose  Chavez  was  placed  in  charge.  The 
circuit  was  understood  to  mean  the  entire  state  of 
Oaxaca  and  parts  of  Chiapas  and  Vera  Cruz.  The 
railway  only  reached  a  short  distance  south  of 
Puebla,  so  it  took  the  preacher  with  his  family  eight 
days  to  make  the  journey.  From  the  railway  ter- 
minus the  trip  was  made  by  stage,  horseback,  and 
litter.  There  were  no  hotels  on  the  way,  so  the  in- 
conveniences, especially  for  ladies  and  children,  were 
trying,  but  we  have  heard  not  one  word  of  complaint 
from  our  missionaries. 

Brother  L.  C.  Smith  wrote  of  It,  "Our  field  con- 
tains about  fifteen  hundred  appointments !"  This 
clarion  assertion  has  the  ring  of  Wesley's  "The 
world  is  my  parish."  Fifty  people  attended  the  first 
service  in  the  city,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  the 
report  was  that  Dr.  Smith  had  visited  Tuxtepec, 
El  Valle,  Quiotepec,  Coyula,  Cuyamecalco,  Papalos, 
Teutila,  Jalapa,  Santo  Domingo,  Jacatepec,  Ma- 
quiltinaguis,  Zimatlan,  Ejutla,  and  Ocotlan.  In  all 
these  he  found  friends  to  our  cause  and  preached  to 
large  congregations.  No  minister  had  ever  visited 
these  places  before,  and  he  found  grossest  idolatry, 
and  even  rumor  of  human  sacrifices.  He  passed 
through  the  territory  of  tribes  who  are  little  known, 

131 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

some  slightly  removed  from  barbarism,  such  as  the 
Chinantecos,  Masatecos,  and  Cuitacos.  He  found 
more  than  twenty  different  languages.  Four  cir- 
cuits were  organized,  Cuitatlan,  Euilapam,  Huitza, 
and  Ja}racatlan,  all  representing  several  preaching 
appointments.  Invitations  came  from  all  over  the 
state  for  gospel  privileges.  One  of  these  was  from 
Zaachila,  only  eight  miles  from  Oaxaca,  a  former 
capital  of  the  Zapotec  kingdom.  Among  the  first 
to  receive  the  gospel  here  was  Prince  Prez,  the  direct 
descendant  of  the  last  Zapotec  king,  and  still  ac- 
knowledged by  the  people  as  their  leader.  He  entered 
heartily  into  the  Christian  service  and  brought  all 
his  family,  including  several  brothers.  He  declared 
that  one  of  the  happiest  days  of  his  life  was  when 
the  Methodist  Church  bought  a  site  in  the  center  of 
the  town  and  the  congregation  agreed  to  build  a 
chapel.  At  that  time  Prince  Prez  was  over  seventy, 
but  walked  erect  and  was  alert  to  everything  affect- 
ing the  welfare  of  his  people. 

On  my  first  visit  to  Zaachila  I  found  the  venerable 
man  seated,  as  was  his  custom,  on  one  side  of  the 
chapel  near  the  pulpit,  where  he  could  face  both 
preacher  and  the  people.  His  responses  were  fre- 
quent and  hearty — "Asi  sea" — "So  let  it  be" — he 
used  instead  of  the  short  "Amen."  After  the  service 
he  told  Bishop  Joyce  the  story  of  his  relations  to 
the  second  empire.  As  soon  as  Maximilian  was  in- 
stalled in  the  capital  he  attempted  to  win  the  friend- 
ship of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  all  over  the  land, 

132 


Prince  Prez,  Descendant  of  the  Aztec  Emperors 


OAXACA 

among  these  Prince  Prcz.  Maximilian  sent  an  auto- 
graph letter  inviting  him  to  come  to  the  national 
capital  to  accept  an  important  post  in  which  he 
could  aid  in  solidifying  the  empire.  To  many  this 
might  have  been  a  temptation.  His  fathers  had  lost 
their  throne,  and  though  of  royal  blood  Prince  Prez 
was  now  a  common  citizen  owning  a  little  farm.  But 
to  this  tempting  offer  to  bring  his  family  back  to 
the  circle  of  royalty  the  Indian  prince  replied: 
"When  I  go  to  Mexico  City  to  see  an  emperor,  it 
will  be  an  emperor  with  Mexican  blood  in  his  veins !" 
This  was  in  1866,  but  later  we  see  him  in  active 
Christian  work,  and  when  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Lay  Electoral  Conference  he  made  the  long  journey 
to  Puebla,  though  advanced  in  years.  None  who 
saw  how  the  Conference  was  moved  by  his  speech  will 
ever  forget  the  scene.  He  was  well  on  toward  four- 
score when  God  took  him,  and  when  dying  he  sent 
for  the  missionary  and  asked  him  to  read  the  Bible 
and  pray.  Then  he  paid  his  subscription  to  the 
church  for  three  months  and  said :  "Many  people  will 
come  to  my  funeral.  I  want  you  to  take  the  oppor- 
tunity to  preach  the  gospel.  Tell  them  to  repent 
and  come  to  Jesus."  Such  was  the  dying  wish  of  the 
descendant  of  the  last  of  the  Zapotec  kings. 

When  Dr.  F.  S.  Borton  was  in  charge  of  this  dis- 
trict he  was  enthusiastic  over  the  possibilities.  He 
had  the  joy  of  baptizing  seven  converts  in  Huitzo 
and  thirteen  in  Jayacatlan  and  wrote  of  the  attend- 
ance of  the  governor  of  the  state  at  the  Christmas 

133 


MKTHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

services  of  the  Sunday  school.  In  1895  Bishop  New- 
man went  with  me  to  Oaxaca  and  authorized  the 
purchase  of  property.  When  he  returned  to  New 
York  and  reported  what  he  had  done,  he  was  re- 
minded that  he  had  acted  in  anticipation  of  authori- 
zation. "Well,  if  you  do  not  want  the  property," 
said  the  bishop,  "I  will  keep  it  as  my  personal  in- 
vestment." We  often  find  ourselves  in  rented  quar- 
ters with  an  unfriendly  landlord,  and  the  danger  of 
being  turned  out  is  not  a  pleasant  one  to  constantly 
face.  Dr.  Smith  was  rejoiced  over  the  purchase, 
but  soon  he  was  taken  ill  and  at  first  the  physicians 
were  not  able  to  diagnose  the  case,  but  it  finally 
developed  that  he  had  a  tumor  on  his  brain  caused 
by  a  blow  from  a  stone  that  was  thrown  at  him  when 
he  was  preaching  some  months  previously.  Through- 
out his  long  illness  he  was  cheerful  in  spite  of  great 
suffering,  and  he  kept  up  his  habit  of  singing  the 
praises  of  God.  This  triumph  of  faith  made  a  great 
impression  upon  his  Mexican  friends,  especially 
those  who  were  Catholics.  He  was  buried  in  the 
municipal  cemetery  in  Oaxaca,  the  only  missionary 
of  our  Board  whose  dust  mingles  with  the  dust  of 
this  country. 

Severo  Lopez  was  in  charge  in  1896-99  and  made 
evangelistic  tours  as  far  south  as  Tehuantepec,  visit- 
ing sixty  towns  en  route,  in  many  of  which  he 
preached  and  made  friends.  He  declared  that  no 
one  refused  the  Bible,  while  hundreds  looked  upon 
it  for  the  first  time,  and,  indeed,  many  were  found 

134 


OAXACA 

who  had  never  heard  of  the  Book.  In  El  Ocote  he 
found  two  friends,  and  by  the  end  of  the  year  there 
were  thirty  probationers  and  eighty-four  adherents. 
In  Soledad  and  Sosola  little  congregations  had  to 
suffer  severe  persecutions,  and  the  pastor  with  one 
brother  were  severely  wounded.  Pastor  Lopez  found 
many  towns  almost  entirely  abandoned  by  the  Catho- 
lic Church,  the  visit  of  the  priest  occurring  but  once 
a  year,  and  then,  for  the  collection  of  the  tithes.  He 
tells  of  the  fidelity  of  one  of  our  Mixtec  Indian 
members  who  went  to  work  on  the  railroad  till  he 
could  save  fifty  dollars  with  which  to  buy  a  baby 
organ  for  the  congregation,  to  which,  with  great 
satisfaction,  he  presented  it.  Brother  Lopez  pleaded 
for  the  appointment  of  a  representative  of  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  in  Oaxaca. 
The  plea  still  remains  unanswered.  The  city  of 
Oaxaca  is  too  far  away  for  any  considerable  number 
of  girls  to  come  to  our  schools  in  Puebla  and  Mexico 
City.  A  well-equipped  institution  located  in  Oaxaca 
would  soon  exercise  an  immense  influence  throughout 
all  Southern  Mexico.  J.  M.  Eurosa  was  in  charge 
from  1899  to  1905,  having  but  five  Conference  mem- 
bers and  other  workers  only  of  limited  education, 
yet  preaching  and  teaching  in  scores  of  towns.  Some 
remarkable  conversions  occurred.  One  man  had  led 
such  a  life  of  sin  that  his  family  were  ashamed  of 
him.  Coming  under  gospel  influence,  he  was  so  com- 
pletely changed  that  his  Catholic  wife  declared  him 
to  be  another  man.     Looking  into  the  cause  of  this 

135 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

marvelous  change,  she  too  was  converted.  An  aban- 
doned drunkard  who  lived  in  Zaachila  had  a  little 
son  who  attended  our  service.  This  enraged  the 
father  and  led  him  to  follow  the  boy,  and  when  the 
child  came  out  one  day  he  received  a  terrible  beating 
from  the  cruel  father.  But  the  man  had  heard 
enough  to  arouse  his  curiosity,  so  that  he  returned, 
and  the  result  was  a  genuine  conversion  which 
showed  itself  in  a  completely  transformed  character : 
a  peaceful  citizen,  a  tender  father  and  husband. 
Still  another  was  a  bullfighter  who  attended  service 
in  order  to  mock,  but  went  away  convicted,  gave  up 
bullfighting  and  profanity  and  became  a  faithful 
member  of  the  church.  It  is  the  same  old  story  of 
the  blessed  gospel. 

In  the  first  year  of  V.  C.  Baez's  superintendency 
(1906-11)  the  little  congregation  at  Cuyamecalco 
took  on  new  life  and  gathered  in  one  year  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  members  and  friends,  and  the  gospel 
was  carried  into  Coyula.  In  Nazareno  a  noted  perse- 
cutor of  the  Protestants  was  converted.  Persecu- 
tions broke  out  in  part  of  the  field  instituted  by  a 
parish  priest,  by  which  fourteen  of  our  members 
were  cast  into  prison  and  threatened  with  death  if 
they  did  not  recant.  A  leading  member  of  our 
church  in  Nuxaa,  a  young  man,  was  arrested  and 
taken  before  the  mayor  and  a  priest  where  they  tried 
to  compel  him  to  bow  down  before  an  image  they 
had  brought  from  the  church.  Being  an  humble 
man,   they   thought   they   could   influence   him,   but 

136 


OAXACA 

taking  out  his  Bible,  and  being  wonderfully  aided 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  demonstrated  to  all  present 
that  the  religion  of  the  Bible  was  true.  The  mayor 
was  so  favorably  impressed  that  he  was  set  free. 
The  priest  kept  up  the  persecution  till  appeal  was 
made  to  the  governor. 

The  new  church  in  Zaachila  was  dedicated  in  1907, 
and  so  many  came  from  nearby  congregations  that 
the  attendance  overflowed  the  capacity  of  the  build- 
ing. In  1909  the  work  was  strengthened  by  the 
cooperation  of  the  American  consul,  Mr.  Lawton, 
who  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  Sunday 
school  and  with  his  family  contributed  in  many  ways 
to  help  the  cause,  as  did  Mr.  Foix,  a  French  brother. 
This  year  the  gospel  was  carried  to  the  Mixteco  In- 
dians of  Santa  Inez  del  Rio,  where  Brother  Baez 
preached  through  an  interpreter.  As  one  of  our 
members  was  reading  the  New  Testament  to  some 
friends  a  fanatic  passing  by  was  so  enraged  that  he 
attacked  the  reader  and  wounded  him  seriously.  The 
fanatic  was  arrested  and  punished.  The  incident 
created  a  wave  of  indignation  in  the  community,  so 
that  the  better  class  of  Catholics  joined  with  the 
Protestants  and  elected  the  man  who  had  been 
wounded  as  mayor  of  the  town. 

The  church  which  the  fanatic  burned  in  Santa 
Inez  del  Rio  was  rebuilt  with  the  help  or  Dr.  Howard 
Kelly,  of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  and  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Quickmire.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  attended 
the  dedicatory  services,  forty-eight  of  them  being 

137 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

baptized  that  day.  In  Telixtlahuaca  a  chapel  was 
built,  also  through  the  help  of  the  above  mentioned 
friends. 

At  this  time  the  attention  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  was  fixed  on  our  Brother  Baez  as  one  in 
every  way  well  fitted  to  serve  on  the  committee  to 
prepare  a  new  translation  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  in 
Spanish.  In  1908  he  spent  five  months  in  New  York 
so  engaged,  and  then  was  sent  to  Spain,  where  for 
two  years  he  cooperated  with  the  other  five  members 
in  that  great  task. 

The  Rev.  Eduardo  Zapata  was  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  district  in  1913  and  remained  at 
his  post  during  the  difficult  times  of  the  revolution. 
He  reported  that  a  group  of  Romanist  missionaries 
went  through  the  state  and  in  some  cases  tried  to 
stir  persecution,  but  the  results  were  rather  con- 
trary to  their  plans,  for  our  people  were  moved  to 
greater  devotion.  Without  doubt  Romanism,  given 
the  liberties  it  enjoys  at  present,  is  making  great 
efforts  to  secure  again  that  which  in  1857  was  taken 
away  from  it  by  the  immortal  Juarez  when  he  pro- 
claimed the  Reform  Laws. 

There  are  now  thirty-eight  Methodist  congrega- 
tions in  the  state,  besides  many  towns  where  services 
are  occasionally  held.  There  are  thirteen  schools 
with  five  hundred  and  forty  children  being  taught. 
""Many  places  are  begging  for  schools ;  and  this  need 
is  most  pressing,  for  the  Indians  are  in  a  lamentable 
intellectual  condition.     When  the  day  arrives  that 

138 


OAXACA 

the  Indian  races  of  the  state  are  educated  and  evan- 
gelized, we  are  sure  that  from  them  will  come  a  splen- 
did band  of  preachers  and  teachers  who  will  be  active 
in  bringing  about  the  longed-for  conquest  of  Mexico 
for  the  kingdom  of  God." 


139 


CHAPTER  XIII 

RETROSPECTION— FACING  THE  FUTURE 
WITH  A  REUNITED  METHODISM 

Looking  back  over  the  first  forty-five  years  of 
Methodism  in  Mexico,  we  pass  in  review  a  succession 
of  splendid  achievements.  In  1873  there  was  noth- 
ing in  the  whole  country  which  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  could  call  its  own  except  opportunity. 
The  assertion  has  been  made  by  those  who  have 
never  studied  the  situation,  save  from  their  precon- 
ceived standpoint,  that  there  is  no  need  for  Protes- 
tant missions  in  Mexico,  and  that,  unasked,  we  are 
interfering  with  the  established  religion  of  a  people. 
There  are  at  least  three  answers  to  this  false  premise. 

First.  Four  hundred  years  ago  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  found  Mexico's  people  with  a  religion 
which  they  had  practiced  for  over  a  thousand  years. 
Aided  by  the  civil  and  military  power,  the  represen- 
tatives of  the  Roman  hierarchy  overthrew  that  reli- 
gion and  even  by  force  compelled  the  people  to  ac- 
cept their  form  of  Christianity. 

Second.  Roman  Catholic  authors  are  among  the 
most  severe  critics  of  the  defective  character  of  the 
work  done,  and  of  the  lamentable  fact  that  the  good 
achieved  by  some  of  the  early  friars  has  not  been 
generally  followed  up  by  their  successors,  and  that 

140 


RETROSPECTION 

immorality,  superstition,  and  idolatry  have  been 
practiced  by  both  priests  and  people.  Abbe  Dome- 
nech,  Madame  Calderon  de  la  Barca,  and  other 
orthodox  Catholics  express  their  opinion  of  these 
points  in  stronger  language  than  we  have  ever  used 
in  this  regard. 

Third.  Our  critics  are  evidently  not  aware  that 
the  Protestant  Church  was  finally  led  to  undertake 
work  in  Mexico  because  a  committee  of  Mexican 
gentlemen  came  to  New  York,  in  the  early  seventies, 
and  pleaded,  in  terms  of  a  genuine  Macedonian  call, 
with  representatives  of  various  missionary  duties. 
They  showed  that  thousands  of  their  fellow  country- 
men had,  for  reasons  just  stated,  deflected  from 
Romanism,  and  that  while  some  of  them  were  at- 
tempting to  organize  evangelical  congregations,  the 
majority  were  in  danger  of  lapsing  into  absolute 
infidelity. 

Here,  then,  in  common  with  other  denominations, 
our  call  and  our  opportunity,  which  we  could  claim 
as  fundamentals,  were  all  we  had  in  the  Republic  of 
Mexico  forty-five  years  ago.  To-day  we  have  a  well- 
established  work  in  the  federal  district  and  eight 
states,  without  including  that  which  is  being  done 
in  Sonora  and  Chihuahua  by  our  new  Mexico  Mis- 
sion. In  addition  to  the  many  who  in  the  past  we 
have  helped  to  nobler  lives,  we  now  have  7,000  com- 
municants and  nearly  15,000  adherents,  which  gives 
us  a  constituency  of  about  22,000.  Our  Sunday 
school  membership  is  4,700,  and  in  our  day  schools 

141 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

we  have  nearly  5,000  pupils.  We  operate  a  medical 
dispensary  and  hospital  in  Guanajuato,  open  to  all 
nationalities  and  all  creeds,  where  thousands  of 
patients  are  treated  every  year.  We  have  a  print- 
ing establishment  which  publishes  a  weekly  Advo- 
cate, also  books,  pamphlets,  and  tracts ;  and  which 
sends  out  from  three  to  four  million  pages  of  reli- 
gious literature  annually.  One  million  dollars,  gold, 
could  not  replace  our  present  properties,  the  most 
valuable  of  which  are  located  in  such  centers  as 
Mexico  City,  Pachuca,  Guanajuato,  Puebla,  Quere- 
taro,  Orizaba,  and  Oaxaca. 

Our  national  ministers  and  teachers  would  honor 
our  church  in  any  land.  There  are  over  one  hundred 
such  engaged  in  church  and  school  work;  and  in 
addition  we  have  trained  scores  who  readily  found 
employment  in  private  or  government  schools 
throughout  the  country. 

In  1881  and  1882  a  generous  Boston  friend  made 
it  possible  for  us  to  distribute  gratuitously  30,000 
copies  of  the  Spanish  New  Testament.  This  propa- 
ganda stirred  up  considerable  opposition  on  the  part 
of  those  who  have  kept  the  Bible  from  these  people 
for  four  hundred  years.  For  instance,  the  Bishop 
of  Queretaro  caused  to  be  read  in  all  the  churches 
of  that  city  a  pastoral  describing  the  work  of  our 
colporters,  and  warning  the  faithful  that  "not 
even  out  of  curiosity  should  they  look  inside  the 
little  red-edged  book  being  circulated  by  the  Protes- 
tants in  this  city."     The  day  after  the  news  of  this 

142 


RETROSPECTION 

prohibition  reached  us  we  took  several  hundred 
copies  of  the  Testament  into  the  bindery  of  our 
press  and  after  shaving  off  the  red  edges  expressed 
them  to  Queretaro.  The  bishop's  pastoral  did  us 
no  harm. 

In  1910,  in  unison  with  all  the  missions,  we  co- 
operated with  the  American  Bible  Society  in  the 
circulation  of  100,000  copies  of  the  Centennial  Edi- 
tion of  the  New  Testament,  which  had  been  attrac- 
tively bound  with  Mexico's  national  colors.  This 
effort  lifted  the  record  of  the  American  Bible  So- 
ciety to  1,000,000  copies  of  the  Bible,  the  New  Testa- 
ment or  portions  distributed  in  the  republic,  where 
they  are  eagerly  accepted  by  all  classes.  At  this 
writing  the  Society  is  making  a  special  effort  to 
circulate  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Recently  in  the  city 
of  Monterey  their  agents  sold  10,000  copies  of  the 
Bible,  in  whole  or  part,  within  one  month;  not  a 
single  copy  was  given  away  gratis.  In  Mexico  City 
a  Bible  woman  of  our  church  has  sold  2,000  copies 
within  a  few  weeks.  Of  all  this  seed-sowing  what 
shall  the  harvest  be? 

During  the  period  of  these  forty-five  years  the 
mission  has  been  favored  with  frequent  official  visita- 
tions, namely,  four  missionary  secretaries — Dr. 
Dashiell,  Dr.  Reid,  Dr.  Carroll,  and  Dr.  Baldwin; 
also  two  treasurers — Mr.  Phillips  and  Dr.  Hunt. 
In  the  meantime  we  have  had  thirty-six  episcopal 
visits  made  by  thirty-two  different  general  superin- 
tendents.    In  earlier  years  a  different  bishop  came 

143 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUKCH  IN  MEXICO 

each  year,  a  plan  which  did  not  always  tend  to  con- 
tinuity of  administration.  The  present  continued 
quadrennial  administration  is  a  far  better  plan,  and 
thus  Bishop  McConnell  has  gotten  close  to  the  hearts 
of  the  Mexican  people,  while  he  has  also  obtained 
a  clear  conception  of  our  problems.  Some  time  in 
the  future  God  will  bring  forward  a  native  Mexican 
worthy  of  the  office  and  work  of  a  bishop. 

The  visits  of  Dr.  Randall,  of  the  Epworth  League ; 
of  Dr.  Haven,  of  the  Bible  Society;  of  Mrs.  Keen 
and  Miss  Carnahan,  representing  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society ;  of  Mrs.  Field  and  Mrs. 
Stoddard,  of  the  Woman's  Temperance  Union;  and 
of  Mrs.  Bryner  and  Mr.  Marion  Lawrance,  of  the 
International  Sunday  School  Association,  have  all 
been  helpful  to  our  work.  Twice  during  this  period 
General  U.  S.  Grant  visited  Mexico.  During  his 
first  visit  he  was  the  guest  of  the  government.  He 
reached  Mexico  late  Saturday  night.  We  were 
sensible  of  the  great  honor  conferred  upon  us  when 
the  General  and  Mrs.  Grant  attended  our  church 
services  the  following  morning.  He  gave  further 
strength  to  the  cause  of  Protestantism,  no  less  than 
to  morality,  by  declining  wine  at  all  banquets  and 
refusing  to  attend  a  bullfight  planned  in  his  honor. 
The  city  government  paid  the  United  States  a  great 
compliment  in  connection  with  this  visit.  After  fur- 
nishing an  elegant  apartment  for  the  use  of  General 
Grant  and  his  party,  they  sent  to  the  Bible  agency 
and  purchased  enough   copies  of  the  Sacred  Book 

144) 


RETROSPECTION 

to  place  one  in  each   room  to  be  occupied  by  his 
suite. 

Diplomatic  and  consular  officers  have  often  been 
helpful  to  us,  notably  the  Hon.  John  W.  Foster, 
who,  with  his  family,  was  frequently  seen  in  our 
Mexican  services.  Julius  A.  Skilton,  consul-general, 
alumnus  of  Wesleyan  University,  earned  the  grati- 
tude of  missionaries  and  native  workers  alike.  Con- 
sul Lawton  was  long  time  superintendent  of  our 
Sunday  school  in  Oaxaca.  Consul  Haden  was  closely 
identified  with  our  work  in  Puebla,  Mexico  City,  and 
elsewhere.  The  development  of  our  educational  work 
is  one  of  the  most  important  and  gratifying  chap- 
ters of  our  history.  In  1873  we  began  with  a  group 
of  little  children  in  Lopez  Alley,  City  of  Mexico. 
To-day,  in  spite  of  the  keen  competition  of  well- 
equipped  private  and  official  schools,  we  have  in  the 
capital  about  two  hundred  girls  in  a  school  build- 
ing which  has  few  superiors  in  the  republic.  This 
appropriately  carries  the  name  of  Sarah  L.  Keen, 
the  late  corresponding  secretary  of  the  Philadelphia 
Branch  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 
In  Pachuca  we  began  in  a  small  rented  room  with 
just  a  few  boys  and  girls.  To-day  we  have  three 
school  buildings  with  over  nine  hundred  children, 
which,  with  the  smaller  schools  in  other  circuits,  gives 
us  an  enrollment  of  over  twelve  hundred  children  in 
the  state  of  Hidalgo.  Graduates  of  the  girls'  school 
are  found  everywhere  throughout  that  commonwealth 
and  they  are  invariably  friendly  to  Methodism. 

145 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

In  Guanajuato  our  first  school  was  quartered  in 
a  small  rented  house.  To-day  we  occupy  two  build- 
ings of  considerable  size.  The  Woman's  Society  has 
a  substantial  property  with  about  two  hundred  girls 
under  instruction.  This  Society  also  has  a  well-con- 
ducted Bible  Training  Department,  and  has  already 
prepared  several  deaconesses.  Miraflores,  Orizaba, 
Oaxaca,  and  other  centers  have  prosperous  educa- 
tional plants. 

Perhaps  our  greatest  success  in  this  line  has  been 
achieved  in  Puebla.  Here  we  began  with  about  six- 
teen little  boys  brought  from  Mexico  City.  Later, 
when  the  Woman's  Society  began  its  work,  such  was 
the  fanaticism  of  the  residents  that  months  passed 
before  a  single  daughter  of  Puebla  was  enrolled. 
At  the  end  of  two  years  the  Society  seriously  con- 
sidered withdrawing  from  this  field.  They  were 
finally  prevailed  upon  to  try  for  one  more  year.  The 
faith  of  the  teachers  was  soon  rewarded  by  an  ex- 
cellent attendance,  which  has  increased  steadily,  till 
over  eight  hundred  girls  have  been  enrolled  in  a 
single  year.  Both  societies  own  well-equipped  prop- 
erties, and  both  institutions  exercise  a  tremendous 
influence,  not  only  in  the  state  of  Puebla,  but  also 
throughout  all  southern  Mexico. 

The  graduates  of  our  schools  are  eagerly  sought 
by  the  government.  The  success  of  the  educational 
work  of  this  mission  alone  would  more  than  have 
justified  the  expenditure  of  every  dollar  sent  into 
Mexico  by  both  societies.     Boys  and  girls  have  been 

146 


RETROSPECTION 

picked  up  in  city  or  country  and  taken  from  the 
farm  or  factory  and  advanced  into  positions  of  in- 
fluence and  usefulness.  A  number  of  our  graduates 
have  won  degrees  from  the  best  of  our  universities  in 
the  United  States.  A  testimony  to  the  value  placed 
on  our  educational  work  in  its  development  of 
character  of  the  most  admirable  sort  was  given  in 
the  words  of  one  of  the  leading  officials  of  the  Gov- 
ernment Board  of  Education  when  he  said  to  a 
teacher  who  was  being  called  from  one  of  our  insti- 
tutions to  a  position  of  great  usefulness  in  the  na- 
tional school  system,  "We  want  you,  not  only  for 
your  ability  as  an  educator,  but  for  your  moral  in- 
fluence." 

The  great  results  which  I  have  thus  endeavored 
to  set  before  the  Christian  world  are  not  the  only 
ones  achieved  by  our  Methodism.  Side  by  side  with 
us  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  has 
labored  with  notable  success.  All  students  of  Mexico 
missions  should  seek  the  reports  of  the  work  of  her 
missionaries.  Together  our  labors  for  the  uplift- 
ing of  this  noble  people  will  have  a  tremendous  in- 
fluence in  aiding  them  to  find  the  path  of  justice, 
peace  and  prosperity  towards  which  they  have  been 
struggling  against  such  odds. 

The  past  years  have  been  times  of  turbulence,  but 
our  work  is  advancing  in  spite  of  these  conditions. 
The  early  days  of  our  mission  saw  the  country  in 
the  throes  of  the  Tuxtepec  revolution,  which  resulted 
in  the  Diaz  regime.    Then  followed  a  period  of  peace 

147 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

from  1877  till  1910,  except  for  local  revolts,  which 
were  speedily  subdued.  Nothing  serious  has  hap- 
pened to  any  of  our  missionaries  through  all  this 
unrest.  Once  I  had  a  revolutionary  leader  who  was 
encamped  about  thirty  miles  away  demand  a  loan 
of  one  thousand  dollars,  which  he  said  would  be  re- 
turned when  his  army  was  in  control  of  the  govern- 
ment. My  verbal  answer  was  to  the  effect  that  I 
was  not  worth  a  thousand  dollars,  and  therefore 
could  not  loan  that  amount.  Three  days  later  a 
letter  came  saying  that  my  refusal  had  caused  great 
displeasure,  and  he  was  compelled  to  demand  two 
thousand  dollars.  This  was  in  the  old  days  when 
kidnapping  was  still  prevalent  in  the  land,  so  I 
deemed  it  wise  to  be  prudent,  and  never  left  the  house 
for  weeks  without  a  friend  at  my  side.  The  particu- 
lar revolution  triumphed,  but  the  private  secretary 
of  the  president,  to  whom  I  showed  the  letter,  took 
the  matter  up  with  the  colonel,  and  I  have  not  been 
similarly  molested  since.  Several  years  ago,  after 
quarterly  meetings  in  Zacualtipan,  with  two  other 
missionaries  I  left  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
with  the  exception  of  a  short  rest  at  noon  remained 
with  them  in  the  saddle  till  5  p.  m.  We  had  reached 
Apulco  and  had  been  welcomed  in  the  home  of  a 
friendly  Englishman.  While  at  the  supper  table  I 
was  called  out  and  informed  that  we  were  surrounded 
by  the  Tutos,  a  small  tribe  of  Indians  of  that  vicinity 
who  were  generally  a  quiet  people ;  but  some  actions 
of    the    government    inspector    in    changing    their 

148 


RETROSPECTION 

boundaries  had  angered  them.  We  consulted  and 
found  that  only  a  couple  of  old  muskets  were  in  the 
house.  Telephone  communication  had  been  cut,  and 
faithful  servitors  refused  to  leave  the  protection  of 
the  hacienda  walls.  In  desperation  the  host  asked 
my  advice,  and  I  suggested  burying  most  of  his 
money  and  leaving  some  in  the  cash  drawer,  and 
when  they  should  arrive  at  the  gate  to  admit  them 
and  appeal  to  their  manhood  not  to  molest  the  two 
English  ladies  and  the  little  children.  Then  we 
gathered  together  and  I  opened  the  Bible  at  the 
nineteenth  psalm.  We  talked  with  God  and  were 
comforted.  Through  the  night  we  watched  while 
the  three  or  four  hundred  Tutos  kept  their  cordon 
around  us ;  but  in  the  morning  they  quietly  with- 
drew, doubtless  having  discovered  that  we,  the 
strangers,  were  not  government  agents.  When  we 
recall  that  in  the  first  decade  of  the  mission  we 
averaged  about  ten  missionaries  in  the  field,  and 
since  that  time  we  have  had  possibly  thirty  Ameri- 
cans on  our  stafF,  we  certainly  can  believe  in  the 
friendliness  of  the  people  in  Mexico  and  go  on  with 
our  work  in  confidence  and  hope. 

From  the  past  we  take  confidence  for  the  future. 
Already  multitudes  are  turning  toward  God,  and  the 
masses  are  more  ready  than  ever  before  to  listen  to 
the  gospel.  Such  a  golden  opportunity  as  we 
scarcely  believed  would  ever  come  to  Mexico  again 
beckons  us  on.  With  such  missionaries  as  we  have 
in  the  field  the  church  need  not  hesitate  to  send  here 

149 


MKTHODIST  EPISCOTAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

its  richest  resources.  With  such  national  workers 
as  God  has  raised  up  the  future  is  assured. 

From  the  beginning  of  our  work  the  need  of  the 
strong  arm  of  the  press  was  evident.  At  first  a  little 
hand  press  was  secured,  and  tracts,  hymns,  and 
small  books  were  issued.  In  1876  our  superintend- 
ent, realizing  how  urgent  was  the  call  for  suitable 
literature  for  the  training  of  a  native  ministry  and 
for  the  creation  of  an  intelligent  and  cooperating 
constituency,  as  well  as  for  presenting  our  views 
to  the  multitudes  who  could  not  be  reached  by  the 
living  voice,  visited  the  home  land  to  raise  the  neces- 
sary funds.  Notwithstanding  the  stringency  of  the 
times,  by  his  indefatigable  labors  during  the  most 
heated  term  of  the  year  he  raised  the  sum  of  $12,000 
for  this  purpose  and  purchased  the  necessary  equip- 
ment, which  has,  with  occasional  additions  since, 
enabled  us  to  do  the  kind  of  work  which  made  possi- 
ble the  expansion  of  the  mission  such  as  could  not 
have  otherwise  been  achieved. 

On  his  return  with  the  fine  Hoe  press  Dr.  Butler 
planned  for  the  largest  possible  use  of  the  new 
agency,  and  from  this  press  up  to  the  present  there 
have  been  sent  out  over  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
million  pages  of  religious  literature,  tracts,  text- 
books, Sunday  school  helps,  hymn  books,  and  the 
weekly  Abogado  Cristiano.  This  addition  to  the 
family  of  Christian  Advocates  was  established  in 
1881  with  no  large  financial  backing,  but  has  been 
loyally   supported   by   pastors   and   people    of   our 

150 


RETROSPECTION 

Mexican  church.  In  spite  of  disturbances  and  the 
revolution  of  1913-17,  the  paper  has  been  constantly 
issued,  being  the  only  Protestant  organ  which  has 
not  at  some  time  suspended  publication. 

In  June,  1914,  seventy-two  workers,  representing 
the  various  missions  of  Mexico  and  their  sustaining 
societies,  met  in  Cincinnati.  After  two  days  of  care- 
ful consideration  and  earnest  prayer  a  program 
was  adopted  and  recommended  to  our  denominational 
Boards.  This  program,  which  has  come  to  be  known 
as  the  Cincinnati  Plan,  contemplates  such  a  read- 
justment of  territory  as  will  give  a  wiser  distribution 
of  forces  and  expenditure  of  money,  the  better  locat- 
ing of  normal  schools,  the  founding  of  a  Union  Col- 
lege, a  Union  Theological  Seminary,  a  publishing 
house  and  church  paper.  Our  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  and  the  General  Conference  have  already 
indorsed  the  plan.  Nearly  all  the  other  denomina- 
tional Boards  took  similar  action.  The  plan  is  in 
accord  with  the  spirit  of  practical  federation,  and 
will  commend  itself  to  our  business  men  in  the  United 
States  as  being  more  generous  support  than  we  have 
ever  had  before. 

One  of  the  provisions  of  the  Cincinnati  Plan  as- 
signs contiguous  territory  in  the  very  heart  of 
Mexico  to  the  two  Methodisms.  The  area  thus  as- 
signed contains  more  than  half  the  population  of 
the  entire  country. 

The  mere  mention  of  the  union  of  our  two  Meth- 
odisms throws  a  flood  of  hope  across  the  future.   The 

151 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

action  of  the  two  General  Conferences  looking  toward 
this  union  inspires  no  part  of  the  church  with  joy 
and  thanksgiving  as  it  does  the  mission  field.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  began  its  work 
in  Mexico  about  the  same  time  that  we  did.  Bishop 
Keener  was  the  first  of  their  bishops  to  visit  the  field, 
and  J.  T.  Dares  was  the  first  superintendent,  fol- 
lowed by  William  Patterson  and  D.  W.  Carter. 
Alejandro  Hernandez,  Sostenez  Juares,  Trinidad 
Aguilar  were  some  of  the  Mexican  colleagues.  Since 
then,  G.  B.  Winton,  J.  E.  Joyner,  J.  B.  Cox,  D.  W. 
King,  J.  C.  Erbin,  R.  C.  Elliott,  and  others  have 
extended  their  lines.  Miss  Holding  and  Miss  Case, 
with  other  devoted  women  have  built  up  their  schools 
for  girls.  Dr.  Andres  Osuna  and  Juan  Pascoe  are 
well  known  among  their  native  ministry.  Schools 
and  churches  extend  along  the  Rio  Grande  and  the 
Pacific  Coast  of  the  Northwest.  Uniting  the  two 
forces  would  give  us  a  magnificent  plant  which  would, 
under  the  blessing  of  God,  achieve  great  things  for 
Mexico. 

In  1865  the  immortal  Lincoln  at  one  of  Mexico's 
darkest  hours  wrote  to  the  exiled  president,  Benito 
Juarez :  "Be  of  good  cheer,  my  friend.  Mexico  will 
rise  again."  Shortly  after  this  the  foreign  invader 
withdrew  from  the  country,  and  Mexico  did  rise,  and 
with  the  aid  of  her  marvelous  resources  came  soon 
into  a  prosperous  condition.  In  these  last  days  she 
has  been  passing  through  deep  waters,  but  we  trust 
that  she  will  soon  emerge  into  better  days.     Her 

152 


RETROSPECTION 

country  pacified,  her  farms  and  factories,  her  mines 
and  mills  will  bring  her  prosperity,  and  her  people 
will  be  educated  and  industrious.  Protestant  Chris- 
tianity will  have  her  part  in  this  good  work.  Possi- 
bly the  historic  church,  learning  lessons  from  the 
past,  revitalized  in  some  measure  and  provoked  to 
good  works  by  the  evangelical  bodies,  will  purge 
itself  of  idolatry  and  dedicate  its  tremendous  influ- 
ence to  the  uplifting  and  Christianizing  of  the 
masses.  What  a  power  that  church  would  exercise 
if  Jesus  Christ  were  given  the  preeminence  that  the 
myth  of  Guadalupe  now  occupies  in  the  heart  of  the 
people ! 

Whether  others  rise  to  their  duty  or  not,  our  two 
Methodisms  must  not  fail  in  measuring  up  to  their 
full  obligation.  And  in  that  glad  day,  when  in  truth 
we  can  sing,  "All  one  body  we,,;  the  rest  of  our  task 
can  be  expressed  in  the  one  word — "Onward." 


153 


^ 


INDEX 


Abb6  Domenech,  31 
Annual  Conference,  111 
Atzacan,  74 

Barnyard  Christians,  109 
Bible  Society,  American,   130, 

138,  143 
Bible  Society,  British,  102,  130 
Burned  Testament,  83 
Bill  for  compensation,  29 
Black  Decree,  33 

Call  to  Mexico,  141 
Carlota,  31 

Circus  of  Chiarini,  44 
Cloisters  of  Saa  Francisco,  39 
Constitution,  35 
Cincinnati  Plan,  151 
Christian  Advocate,  150 
Cortes,  28 
Conventions,  47,  99 

Drees,  C.    W.,  50 
DuBois,  20 

Evangelical  Alliance,  47 

First  appropriation  for  Mex- 
ico, 17 

First  Class  in  Mexico,  38 

First  service  in  the  republic, 
46 

First  Church  Building,  80 

First  Temperance  Society,  108 

Franciscans,  39 

French  Intervention,  31 

Gante,  Friar,  41 

General  Grant,  144 

Governor  of  Guanajuato,  103 


Governor  of  Puebla,  91 
Guerrero,  Dr.  Marcelino,  G4 

Haven,  Bishop  Gilbert,  21,  38, 

41,  63 
Haven,  Dr.  W.   I.,   134 
Headquarters,  Gante  No.  5,  45 
Hidalgo,  Father,  30 
Holy  Mount,  81 

India,  Mission,  19,  42,  58 
Inquisition  Building,  87 

Juarez,  Benito,  34 

Laws  of  Reform,  107 
Languages,  25 
Ludlow,  66 

Maximilian,  31 
Medical  work,  115 
Missionary  giving,  98 
Methodist  Book  Concern,  45 
Methodist    Episcopal    Church, 

South,  147 
Moctezuma,  28,  39 
Monroy  the  martyr,  91 

Napoleon,  31 

National  press  support,  121 

Pachuca  Church,  68 
Parkhurst,  Dr.,  75 
Population,  24 
Prince  Prez,  133 
Proclamations  against   us,  44, 

89,  !>:*,  101,  LIS 
Property  purchase,  93 


155 


Raffle  for  souls,  97 

Saint  Thomas,  26,  129 
Secretary  Seward,  32,  35 
Silver,  27,  101 
Simpson,  Bishop,  17 
Statistics,  39,  141 


INDEX 

Union  efforts,  151 
Velasco,  125 
Warren,  Dr.  W.  F.,  49 
Xavier,  19 


Testimonies   of   Mexicans,    73, 

85,  90,  94,  98,  136 
Theological  school,  90 


Zapata,    missionary    to    Costa 
Rica,  57 


156 


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